The Line That Divides
by Copper Moon
Summary: Atem, Marik and Bakura are back! When a visit to the museum goes awry, two girls end up setting into motion events which cause Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Seto, Malik, and Ryou to face the threat of darkness once again. Update: Raphael and Valon get a visit from Seto in jail. The two girls somehow find themselves in another world. Ryou/Bakura/Valon/OC, Malik/Marik/Joey/OC.
1. Mysterious Theft

CM: Okay, so, this story takes place a couple years after the end of the first Yugioh series after Yami leaves. Just so you know, all WILL be explained eventually, and if not point it out and we'll fix it. **Constructive** criticism is allowed, even welcomed. Now without further ado... we give you...

**THE LINE THAT DIVIDES**

Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh or any of the characters except for the two inserts. Nor do we own any of the references you will find in here.

**CHAPTER ONE: Mysterious Theft**

_Pant. Pant. Pant._

_Dokun. Dokun. Dokun._

_Her breathing came in heavy gasps as her heartbeat thundered in her chest. Her lungs were on fire and each breath she drew was sharp and painful. She wasn't sure how long she had been running, or what she was even running from. All she knew was that she was in danger._

_FLASH!_

_Lightning cut through the sky in a brilliant blaze of light, momentarily illuminating her surroundings. The street was devoid of any life apart from the chilling rain falling mercilessly from the sky and the sharp wind that whipped across her skin like a cold slap. She stopped to lean against a lamppost which offered no light as she attempted to catch her breath. Never had her endurance ever been tested in this manner._

_"I see you… my little light," a voice darker and more chilling than the night itself rang in her ears sending a wave of shivers rolling through her._

_'I have to get away… I have to…' In her haste to run, the girl felt a shock of pain as her foot caught into a pothole. She crashed to the ground with a painful splash, her clothes becoming even more sodden. She scrambled, trying to force her numb limbs to lift herself back up._

_"And just where do you think you're going?"_

_The girl looked over her shoulder impulsively and saw a figure standing several yards away from her. She couldn't make out his appearance. It was too dark. But she didn't have to see him to know that he wasn't someone she wanted to get involved with. She watched as his feet lifted from and then lowered back onto the ground in a steady pace as he moved closer to her._

_"Come to me… my little light," his voice crooned through the sounds of the rainstorm._

_She couldn't move. She was frozen in place, whether by fear, the cold, or his voice, she didn't know. It could have even been all three._

_"Surrender yourself… to me." He reached for her._

_She opened her mouth to scream but no sound would come._

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"Kairi, wake up!"

Kairi felt a pair of small hands shaking her. She experience the sensation of being pulled through a space too tight for her to fit, compressing her lungs so that she couldn't breathe. Panicked, she began fighting for both movement and breath.

"Hey, Kairi it's me, Mokuba. Wake up already," the voice sounded again as the little hands shook her again.

Kairi slowly began to feel her breath returning along with the rest of her senses. Then she slowly began to move and opened her eyes to see Mokuba Kaiba standing above her looking worried.

"Mokuba?" Kairi asked feeling rather disoriented.

"FINALLY you woke up," Mokuba said, giving her the impression he had been attempting to wake her for some time now. "If you don't hurry up we're gonna be late for school, and you know how Seto hates waiting."

"Ugh…" Kairi groaned, rolling over and burying her face in the very plush pillows.

She was currently in her senior year of high school, the same grade as Yugi Moto and his friends. Mokuba was now a freshman so she saw quite a bit of him. And for half a year now, she had been living with Seto and Mokuba. It was sometimes hard to tell how Seto felt about this arrangement, but he hadn't kicked her out yet. Of course with the history they shared…

**"Mitsuko!"** Speak of the devil, Kairi thought when Seto's voice came blazing onto the house intercom. **"If you're not down here in ten minutes I'm taking Mokuba to school and you can walk in the rain."**

"Yes MR. Kaiba," Kairi replied groggily. She got up anyway and after Mokuba left she changed in a hurry and made it downstairs before Kaiba got fed up and left without her.

"It's about time you got down here. You're not staying here out of charity you know," Kaiba muttered when she joined them downstairs. "You keep this up and I'll kick you out."

"Come on, Seto...you wouldn't really kick her out onto the streets, would you?" Mokuba asked.

"If she keeps making me late, then yes," Kaiba threatened.

"Sorry, I just had an uneasy night," Kairi apologized. Unnerving was more like it.

"Hn," was Kaiba's reply before turning on his heals. "Just hurry up or I will leave with or without you."

Kairi and Mokuba both gave synchronized sighs before following him out the door.

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_"It's time to awaken from your slumber. The spirits of the morning are calling for you to rise."_

_She was surrounded by a hoard of what looked to be duel monsters. In fact they were...she could identify Wall Shadow and Curse of Dragon, but the others were too blurred to fully make out. She tried to escape from the center only to find herself chained to the floor, unable to run and without anyone around to help her._

_"Who are you? What do you want from me?" she shouted in fear._

_"It's time for you to answer the call."_

_"Your destiny will be fulfilled."_

_"You will set us free...as it has been foretold."_

_They started to close in on her as she continued to struggle to escape, but nothing she did would set her free._

_"Your awakening has come."_

_"The spirits are calling for you."_

_"Your time has arrived."_

_They were on top of her by now and she screamed as her vision darkened and all was lost._

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"Risa! You're going to be late if you don't leave soon," a high nasal voice called up the stairs.

_"It's time to awaken from your slumber. The spirits of the morning are calling for you to rise," _came the sound of a small alarm clock that sat on her bedside table. Risa rubbed her eyes as she came to her senses before hitting the off switch.

"I know," Risa called back followed by the sound of rustling papers and things thumping around. "Geeze, I can't believe my aunt gave me such a strange alarm clock, or that I somehow managed to sleep through it," she muttered to herself. "And it had to be today of all days." Then she appeared at the top of the stairs with a bag on her back and jumped down all the steps. "Right, I'll see you later, Auntie."

"What about breakfast?" her Aunt asked as Risa rushed out the door.

"I'll grab something on my way. Thanks, Auntie! I'll be back to help after school," she shouted before disappearing around the corner.

"I swear, that girl, if she didn't have the discipline to live on her own she probably wouldn't have survived after her parents died. I can't believe that it's only been 3 months since she got here and already she's caught up with her senior class. I guess having her job back home really helped her learn how to pick things up quickly," her aunt thought to herself. "I just hope those new friends of hers are as good as she says. Hmm maybe I should give her a reading… just to find out for myself."

She grabbed her deck and began shuffling the cards with vindication. Then she laid three out on the table. She turned one over. Rush Recklessly. Of course, her niece was quite impulsive. She turned the second card over. Ties of friendship. She obviously had very close bonds, one in particular was quite strong. She turned the third card over and her eyes widened. Despair from the Dark.

"Oh, Risa…I do not know what trials await you. I just hope that you are strong enough to withstand them," her Aunt muttered to herself. "I hope these friends of yours are as good as they appear."

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Risa sprinted through the rain trying very hard to get to school on time and not turn out being completely soaked. She finally made it to the school just as a limo was pulling away and the first bell rang.

"Hey, Risa!" Kairi called out waving frantically in order to get her attention with Mokuba standing beside her.

Risa grinned and waved back before approaching her friend. "Hey, Kairi, what's up? You and Mokuba are usually the first ones here."

"Kairi slept in this morning," Mokuba said in an almost teasing voice.

"Hehe, guilty," Kairi admittedly sheepishly.

"Don't worry…I got highly distracted this morning and didn't leave until a few minutes ago. I think my aunt has been doing some really creepy reading lately," Risa told her shaking her head.

"Well either way we need to get to class before we're late," Mokuba said heading into the building.

"Right, see you at lunch Mokuba," Kairi said waving to him. Then she and Risa went in the opposite direction. They entered their classroom and sat down in their seats just as the final bell rang.

"Phew…that was close. We were almost late," Risa sighed pulling out her books. "I just hope I didn't forget anything in my rush."

"Hey, guys!" Risa and Kairi looked up to see Tea waving them over to where Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Ryou were all sitting.

"You two look like you've just been through the 500 meter dash," Ryou commented in his soft, British accent.

"Well, we had to book it to make it on time," Kairi explained with a shrug.

"Graduation isn't here yet," Tea admonished. "You guys aren't slacking off already are you?"

Risa rolled her eyes. "Oh please, as if Kairi could EVER allow herself such a thing."

"He-ey," Kairi pouted. "Seto threatened that he'd put me on the street if my grades dropped."

"Just because you don't want your grades to drop doesn't mean you can't have any fun on the side," Joey said smiling.

"He's right you know, you can't have it where it's all work and no play," Tristan added.

"I know that but… Seto's done so much for me already. The least I could do is keep out of trouble," Kairi replied embarrassed. Joey looked at her incredulously unable to see Kaiba doing anything for anyone except his little brother.

"Oh hey, did you guys hear about the theft at the museum on the news this morning?" Yugi asked changing the subject.

"No we were kind of busy this morning. What happened?" Risa asked surprised.

"Apparently all seven of the millennium items were stolen," Yugi divulged. Upon hearing the news Joey and Tristan were utterly surprised, Ryou was fearful, Tea was nodding having seen the news as well, and Kairi and Risa glanced at each other nervously.

"Hey, now that I think about it, didn't you two hang back after we visited the museum yesterday?" Ryou brought to attention.

"Oh yeah, you girls didn't happen to see anything, did ya?" Joey asked them.

"Well…" They said together.

*FLASHBACK*

"Risa, we're going to get in trouble!" Kairi hissed as she and Risa snuck through the museum halls.

"Aw, come on. I do this all the time and I haven't been caught yet," Risa said, not heeding the warnings.

_"Neither have I but…"_ Kairi thought. Then out loud she said, "Look, if Seto got wind of this I would get evicted for sure."

"He's not going to find out, trust me," Risa assured her.

Kairi sighed but continued following Risa as she ignored the KEEP OUT sign and entered the roped off exhibit. The room was rather dim, but from the hall light they could make out the stone tablet with the seven millennium items placed neatly inside of it. Apparently the museum had managed to buy the stone tablet and put it on exhibit. Yugi had told them about the millennium items and how they were supposedly dangerous, but that had been a couple years back and nothing bad has happened since.

"Whoa… wow. Look at the make of this thing," Risa awed, going into her Egyptian archeology geek mode. "With the tools that they had way back then, I'm surprised they could make it like this. And how smooth…"

"What do you think you're doing?" Kairi panicked when Risa stepped forward and began feeling the tablet's surface.

Risa didn't answer her as she continued her inspection. "Look at the detail on this thing… Kairi you've got to feel this! The texture is absolutely…"

"Risa, we're not supposed to be in here and I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to touch the ancient artifacts. Besides, don't you remember what Yugi told us about these things?"

"They're just ordinary items unless you know how to use them…. As far as I know. Now come feel this thing."

"No."

"Come on. You'll never get a chance like this again," Risa encouraged. "It's just one touch. What could it hurt?"

"If I touch it, can we go?" Kairi asked exasperatedly.

Risa nodded. "Yeah."

"Fine," Kairi conceded. She stepped forward to stand beside Risa, lifted her hand, and placed it on the stone tablet's surface.

What happened next, neither expected it nor could explain it. The room around them seemed to vanish and all was complete darkness. There was nothing. Nothing… except for three pairs of eyes that gazed at them through the shadows. One pair was deep crimson. Another was pure amethyst. And the third was dark brown with hints of copper. They just stared at the pair. Where ever they were seemed to lack oxygen because the two girls felt as if they could not breathe. Suddenly they felt several hands, so cold it was like touching ice, touching, caressing, and pulling them into the darkness and a rumbling purring sound resonated through their minds. In fear, they fought against the chilling hands that grasped for them. Then through the cold darkness a warm light suddenly erupted and Risa and Kairi felt themselves released from their bodiless captors. The two screamed as the world seemed to snap back and they were flung across the room. No sooner had they hit the floor than an ear splitting CRACK rang through the air.

Risa and Kairi looked up frightened by what they heard and saw that the tablet had split in two and all seven items were missing. "Okay, can we go now?" Kairi demanded her voice cracking as she spoke.

Risa just nodded in fear and Kairi grabbed her hand dragging her out of the museum.

*End Flashback*

"We did stay back awhile," Kairi admitted guardedly.

"But we didn't see a soul," Risa added quickly.

"No we saw three," Kairi muttered under her breath earning herself an elbow to the ribs.

"So you guys didn't see anyone odd?" Tea asked disappointed.

"Nope…no suspicious activity there at all," Kairi and Risa said together.

"Hmm, why do I have the feeling those two are hiding something?" Yugi whispered to himself. Everyone was too busy paying attention to Kairi and Risa to have heard him, all except for a certain white haired English man.

"Well, considering those two, they probably are," Ryou said with a small laugh, though he too couldn't help but feel worried as well.

At that point the teacher got the class started on their studies and they had to put their conversation on hold. Not that Kairi or Risa were complaining. They spent the entire hour trying to focus on what they were learning but they both had something pulling their minds away.

Every so often Risa would see someone in her peripheral vision that sent chills down her spine, but every time she turned to look…the figure was gone without a trace. "I must be more tired than I thought. There's no way I'm actually seeing that," she thought to herself with a nervous chuckle.

Kairi meanwhile kept getting chills and every once and awhile she would shiver and goose bumps would blaze up over her arms and her neck hairs would stand on end.

"Are you alright?" Kairi heard Ryou whisper to her from behind.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kairi lied. "Just a little chilly I guess."

Ryou didn't bring it up again but he kept his eye on Kairi wondering why she had shivered. After all the temperature in the room was around 80 degrees and that was no where near shivering temperature.

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CM: Just what did Kairi and Risa unleash? And what happened to the millenium items THIS time? Stay tuned!


	2. An Unseen Threat

CM: First off I'd like to thank all of the readers for waiting for this chapter and to especially thank them for their reviews. Their advice was extremely helpful. Also to address natcat5's question, I am a fan of Kingdom Hearts but that is not why I named one of the OC's Kairi. And no, Risa was not named after the DNAngel character either. We will continue to welcome your reviews as well as any question you might have. And now, on with the story!

**CHAPTER TWO: An Unseen Threat**

When lunch rolled around, Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, and Ryou were all sitting together at their usual table chatting up a storm. It mostly consisted of the strange occurrence at the museum as well as how Risa and Kairi were acting a little strangely.

"I think that they would tell us if anything big was up," Yugi said sounding sure of himself.

"Besides, the two of them are really good about keeping out of trouble," Tea said. "After all, if Risa caused trouble she may be forced to go back to Egypt and Kairi would get in huge trouble with Kaiba."

"So, I forget, why _does _she live with that snot nosed rich boy anyways?"

"Oh come on, Joey," Tristan groaned. "She must've told us a dozen times already."

"I believe she said because she and Kaiba knew each other from when they were very young," Ryou explained. "Before Kaiba and Mokuba were adopted, they all lived together at the same orphanage."

"Yeah, whereas Risa was raised in Egypt and worked as a tour guide for several of the tombs and pyramids. Though she's a bit of an eccentric when it comes to that kind of thing," Joey said with a nod.

"It's pretty amazing how Risa knows so much about ancient Egypt, and how she's probably visited several of the tombs," Yugi noted.

"She said that it's her dream to visit different pyramids from all over the world," Tea said with a smile. "She sure has a thing for adventure."

"If only we had her know-how back when we had nothing but ancient Egypt stalking us wherever we went," Tristan said with a laugh.

"Well, technically we did," Yugi pointed out. "We just didn't ask her about it since she seemed kinda unapproachable, and we didn't want to get her involved in it."

"Yeah, and if I recall correctly, that was back when Kairi was still living with her adoptive father," Tea recalled.

"Oh yeah, the godfather guy," Joey said in memory. "Geeze that guy was scary."

"Not to mention abusive," Tristan said darkly. "She came to school with bruises almost every day."

"It was kind of a relief when she moved in with Kaiba," Tea said with a small sigh.

"Her father ended up going to prison, right?" Yugi asked. "When he tried to use Kairi to sabotage Kaiba's company?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes, but instead of locking Kairi up as well, as he would have been more than entitled to do so, Kaiba decided to adopt her instead."

"Honestly, I think I'd prefer jail," Joey muttered.

"Prefer jail to what, Joey?" Risa asked curiously. She stood behind him with her guy cut red hair and her big green eyes staring at him. "If you keep that up, you just might end up there."

"Now, Risa, that's not very nice," Kairi said with a small laugh as she stepped up beside her friend. They were quite a contrasting pair. Kairi's fair skin was pale in comparison to Risa's tanned complexion, and paired with her long, straight dark brown hair, it almost made her blue eyes pop out at you. "Joey's not that big of a hooligan."

"True, he'd probably just go to juvenile," Risa agreed.

"Hey! I'm not a delinquent," Joey protested. "I've been getting good grades in all my classes."

"Only because Kairi and Tea have been tutoring you," Tristan pointed out. "The fact they managed to teach you anything is a miracle in itself."

"Hey, Risa, Kairi, we were just talking about the both of you," Yugi said warmly.

"Nothing bad I hope," Risa said with a grin.

"We were just talking about back before we really got acquainted with you two," Tea told them.

"Yeah, it was a fun meeting," Risa chuckled. "Though I am sorry I freaked you out Yugi. I just kind of lose all sense when I see Egyptian artifacts and your puzzle was absolutely amazing."

"That's alright, you just really took me by surprise is all," Yugi said with a nervous smile at the memory.

"At least she was sociable," Tristan remarked. "Back then, Kairi hardly approached anyone."

"Yeah... sorry about that," Kairi said with a small laugh.

"Really? I had no trouble with it," Risa murmured rubbing her head in thought.

"Yeah, but at the time you didn't know who her dad was," Joey said but stopped when Tea smacked him on the back of the head.

"You could afford to be a little more tactful you know," she scolded.

"Tea, it's okay," Kairi assured her. "It's in the past."

"How is your father doing by the way?" Ryou asked her curiously. "Do you ever go to visit him?"

"Sometimes..." Kairi admitted hesitantly. "He's doing very well, thank you. I'm sure within a few years he'll rethink his life."

"Somehow I doubt that," Joey murmured earning another smack upside the head.

"By the way, I don't think you guys ever told us how you two met," Ryou said.

"We didn't?" Risa asked surprised. "Well, honestly it was because I was in one of my really eccentric moods. I was running around trying to find someone to tell about something I had just read in one of my Egyptian books, and found her sitting around reading. So, because she was the only one who wasn't trying to avoid it, I decided to tell her."

"And I noticed that she was doing badly in her classes so in exchange for the valuable knowledge she gave me, I helped her pass her classes so that she wouldn't have to drop out of school," Kairi informed with a smile. "Honestly her scores were almost as bad as Joey's. Well, except for History."

"Yep, cause I'm top in the class for that subject," Risa said proudly.

"Hey, guys! Guess what?" Mokuba said running up to the group. "The city museum was robbed yesterday!"

"So we've heard," Risa said starting to already feel uncomfortable.

"But that's not all," Mokuba continued. "They can't figure out who did it. All the security cameras in the building and a lot of the machinery were damaged. The place is completely closed until they get everything fixed up again."

Now Kairi was beginning to feel REALLY guilty. "That really is… a shame."

"And after all the trouble the museum went through to get the tablet on display," Tea said looking disappointed.

"I still think it's weird they got their hands on it period," Joey remarked. "I could've sworn that thing had been buried back in Egypt."

"It was," Yugi agreed worriedly. "It was buried in the tomb where Atem went home.

"Atem? Tomb? What exactly did you guys do in Egypt?" Risa demanded suspiciously.

"Eh... it's a long story," Tristan said. "And I doubt you guys would be interested."

"Would it happen to have anything to do with all the weird stuff that would happen whenever you were around and your constant disappearing for days on end?" Kairi inquired.

"No one really knows how the museum got its hands on the tablet thing," Mokuba cut into the conversation in order to address the earlier question. "All I know is they claimed that a group of their people discovered it and that they had every right to display it. It was only a month back when they made the announcement they would be opening that exhibit."

"I must have missed that announcement," Risa admitted sheepishly. "After all, I was extremely busy with helping my aunt with her store."

"And I don't really pay attention to the news too often," Kairi added.

"Well, that's alright," Joey said reaching inside his jacket an pulling out a deck. "Hey, Risa, you still haven't showed us how good you are at dueling. Come on, just one round."

"No thanks, Joey, I kind of gave up on dueling a long time ago, remember," Risa replied.

"Well, what about you, Kairi?" Ryou invited. "It's been a while since I've had a good dueling partner, and you seemed to be a natural at it."

"Thanks, Ryou, but I'm going to have to pass," Kairi declined. "Dueling Monsters is fun, but I just don't have the time to get immersed in it right now."

"I understand," Ryou replied slightly put out.

"Hey, I'll duel you, Ryou," Joey offered placing his deck in front of him.

"Right, have fun you guys," Risa laughed before walking away.

"See you later," Kairi said before following Risa.

"Hey, Kairi, wait up," Mokuba called chasing after the pair.

Ryou and Joey watched the two girls leave and both sighed looking as though they would have preferred the girls sticking around for a little while.

They jumped as Tea's face appeared in between the two of them. "Hmm... you guys really like them don't you?" she accused with a small smile.

"Ah, what gives you that idea?!" Joey demanded pulling away from her.

"We're just really good friends, that's all," Ryou said waving his hands in front of him.

"Then why do you two look so disappointed?" Tea asked.

"Uh-oh, looks like a certain knuckle head's turning red around the ears," Tristan said poking Joey on the side of the head.

"Ngh! Am not. Ryou's the one who's getting all flustered," Joey accused.

"I-I'm not getting flustered," Ryou protested. "Let's just have our duel, Joey."

"Right, I hope you're hungry cuz I've got a full course of defeat all ready for ya," Joey said with zeal.

"Careful, Joey, or I might decide to make you eat those words," Ryou replied as the two prepared to duel.

The three friends knew the two were just trying to change the topic but decided not to press the issue and just watched their game.

* * *

"Hey, Kairi," Mokuba said as he followed her and Risa, now even more excited than ever. "Seto promised he was getting off early today and I was hoping if maybe we could all watch a movie tonight."

"As long as it's not a horror film," Kairi said unable to help but smile at the thought of sitting with the Kaiba brothers on a couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie.

"You're going to watch a movie? Are you going to the theater or just sitting at home?" Risa asked not knowing the Kaiba brothers that well or their personal lives.

"Brother doesn't like the theater so we'll just be at home," Mokuba replied. "Besides the TV we have at home is 10 times better than what they've got at the theaters, and the seats are more comfortable."

"You want to come join us?" Kairi asked Risa.

"Nah, I promised my aunt I'd help her out tonight. Besides, I doubt Kaiba would want me around."

"Okay, maybe next time," Mokuba said before turning and heading off, most likely to go find his school friends.

"Maybe… well I've got some Egyptian mythology to study, so I'll see you later unless you're coming with me, Kairi," Risa answered as she nodded her head in the direction of the library.

"Well… I have some homework I need to finish up. So I think I'm going to take care of that first," Kairi told her apologetically.

"Book worm," Risa stated in response.

"You know, you could do with a little more studying for your actual classes. You got a C on the last math test," Kairi reminded her.

"Tch…its math," Risa replied with a shrug. "I probably won't need too much of it, except the basics. After all, I'll probably keep up my work as a tour guide for the tombs in Egypt."

"Well I'm sure that's all you'll ever be able to amount to in this life time," a voice said condescendingly.

Risa turned around to see the best bet for Valedictorian, Manabu. "Just because I said I would probably stick with that job doesn't mean I can't do anything else. It just means that I enjoy it and want to continue with it. Who knows, maybe I'll do something else on the side."

"Whatever that is I doubt it will count for much," Manabu retorted. "It's poor students like you that bring schools to shame."

"Oh, go read a book study holic," Risa said rolling her eyes.

"Predictable response for one who chooses to ignore the importance of a good education," Manabu muttered sticking his nose high in the air.

"Manabu, please… Risa understands the importance of school as much as you and I do," Kairi cut in. "I don't think it's fair of you to state otherwise."

Manabu looked at Kairi for a moment before huffing and walking away with his nose in the air.

"I wonder if it keeps raining he might drown," Risa thought hopefully with a smirk.

Kairi shook her head. "He's just prestigious, that's all. Anyway, I'm off. Try not to miss me too much."

"Okay, see ya," Risa said smiling. Then she turned around and headed to do her own thing.

* * *

The rest of school went off without too much trouble, though the creepy feelings continued to persist. As soon as the last class ended Kairi and Risa left the room feeling like they were finally free. Outside they saw someone rather unpleasant waiting for them.

"Hey, Kairi, how's about you go on a date with me," a tall and bulky guy said smoothing back his hair in a too-good-for-you manner.

"As I've told you before, Sachio, the answer is NO. I do not want to go out with you," Kairi told him politely.

"Come on, sweet cheeks, it's not like you're dating anyone else right? Or are you seeing that guy you're living with, Seto Kaiba?"

"Of course not, and I don't think he would appreciate you voicing that," Kairi told him in light warning. Sachio had been harassing her for several weeks now and had asked her out eleven times and counting. She was positive that the only reason Sachio was even interested in dating her was because she was an honor's student and he was hoping for a one way ticket to an easy A for all of his classes. "I'm not interested in dating anyone right now so for the last time, please leave me alone and don't ask me again."

Sachio's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something else as he took a step closer.

However, Risa took a step forward as well and deftly stuck out her foot tripping him as she went. He spun around angrily after catching himself but stopped as Seto Kaiba's limo pulled into the school parking lot.

"Well, what do you know, Kaiba's here. Well, I guess I'll see you later, Kairi. Have fun at your movie," Risa said without turning around and continued walking toward the exit.

"See you, Risa," Kairi called out glad that she had diverted Sachio's attention. She quickly ran to the limo and hopped in right behind Mokuba who had managed to get there before her. "Safe!"

Once the limo had pulled out of school and onto the street, Kaiba turned his scowl on Kairi. "Who was that you were speaking with before that red headed friend of yours showed up?"

"That's Sachio. He's been bugging Kairi for a while now," Mokuba blurted out.

"Shh!" Kairi hissed. But the damage was done.

"And you were hiding this because…" Kaiba asked glaring at her.

"He's just a guy looking for a good grade that's all," Kairi insisted. "Since when have you worried about what happens to me at school?"

"You live with us, of course we worry about you," Mokuba stated smiling.

"Since you're living in my house I have the right to know what goes on whether it's at home OR at school, and I don't take kindly to being kept in the dark," Seto stated with his supreme authority. "So is this guy harassing you or not?"

"I already took care of it," Kairi said, wishing she believed her own words and that Sachio would just give up.

"Yes, I could see that when I drove up," Kaiba remarked with sarcasm.

"Could we please just drop it? Please? I understand that you're…" She searched for the right word, and failed to find one. "It's fine. I'm fine. Really."

Kaiba didn't say anything but he glared at her for several moments.

"I love you too, big brother Seto," Kairi said with a smile.

"Don't push it," Kaiba growled.

"Don't worry, he really does care. He just doesn't like to admit it," Mokuba whispered.

Lucky for Kairi they reached the Kaiba home shortly afterwards.

"Alright…movie time," Mokuba exclaimed running into the house and dropping his bags of in his room.

Kairi got the popcorn and drinks ready while Mokuba popped in the video. Once they were all settled on the couch, with Mokuba and Kairi sitting dead center while Kaiba sat off to the very edge of it, Mokuba started the movie.

The movie appeared on the screen and Kaiba groaned when he saw the title of the film. Transformers. "This is the most unrealistic movie in the world," he muttered settling into a slump.

"Don't say that, Seto. You could easily make it real," Kairi told him happily.

"Shush, it's starting," Mokuba said keeping his eyes on the screen.

As they watched the movie, Kairi and Mokuba got really into it, while Kaiba seemed as if he'd rather be working. Half way through the movie, Kairi felt something brush along her arm, giving her goose bumps. She glanced over but saw that Kaiba was still sitting about a foot away from her.

She shook her head, passing it off as the wind and continued watching the film. A few minutes later she felt something brush against her leg and looked down seeing nothing there. She started feeling like someone was watching her as she was watching her movie, but neither Kaiba nor Mokuba seemed to notice her discomfort. Then she felt something wet trailing up her cheek. Something that felt like… a tongue? She forcefully shook the disturbing thought from her mind and tried to focus on the movie.

The next hour nothing happened and she was finally enjoying the movie, reacting appropriately at all the same spots as Mokuba. Then as the climax of the movie was coming she felt that presence return as someone or something pressed up against her body. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt an unseen force constrict around her and began tightening its hold. She was so freaked out that she began squirming around, trying to shake the feeling off, and she distantly heard something that sounded like cold laughter.

Mokuba glanced up from the movie as he felt Kairi squirming next to him. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah…it's just a little chilly in here," Kairi replied with a forced smile.

"Okay, we can fix that pretty easily," Mokuba told her pressing a button. Then the cold air turned off and Mokuba went back to the movie expecting no more interruptions.

Even after Mokuba turned off the air conditioning, the chill never left, and the feeling of being bound did not leave, rather, it increased until she almost felt as if she were being suffocated. She tore herself off of the couch and the feeling dissipated immediately.

"Um… Kairi?" Both Mokuba and Kaiba were staring at her, Mokuba in confusion, and Kaiba with mild annoyance.

"I…. I'm tired. I'm gonna go to bed now," she muttered quickly and hurried past them.

"But the movie's almost over," Mokuba whined.

"I'll watch it later," she called back before practically running to her bedroom.

Mokuba and Kaiba stared after her for several minutes in silence as the movie continued on unwatched. "What was that about?" Mokuba asked confused.

"If she really didn't want to be in the same room with us she should have said something," Kaiba muttered not believing her excuse for a second.

* * *

"Hey, Risa…where was this supposed to go?" Joey called out holding up a rather strange looking thing.

"Um…" Risa muttered turning to look at what he was holding. "Oh, that goes on the top shelf in the left window."

Joey had decided to join Risa in helping out her Aunt in the store and now found himself moving around fortune telling items that he'd never seen before. The item he now held was a kind of furry foot looking thing that was supposed to bring good fortune and health to the holder.

"Thanks, hey does this thing really bring good luck? Cuz I could sure use it for that upcoming English test," Joey said dangling the item in front of his face.

"Like you really need it," Risa laughed.

"Hey, what's that mean?" Joey demanded.

"I've seen you duel. You've got to be one of the luckiest guys I've ever met," Risa said with a smile as she organized to fortune stones.

"Sure, I run on a little luck once in a while, but 95 percent of my dueling is pure skill," Joey claimed.

"Yeah, just like 95 percent of your tests are all A's," Risa shot back.

"Exactly….wait…hey!" Joey shouted realizing that most of his grades were C's.

Risa chuckled as he started shooting a million complaints at her. "Risa, are you finished in there?" her Aunt shouted at her.

"Yes, Auntie… just a few more things and we'll be done," Risa shouted back.

"Well, it's almost dinner time. Is that young male friend of yours sticking around to eat?"

Risa's face turned red but she glanced at Joey anyway to see what his reaction was. "Sure sounds good," Joey said licking his lips. "Your aunt cooks really well."

Risa sighed and shook her head, "Yeah, Auntie, he will."

In a few minutes they were sitting around her aunt's small table. Joey was helping himself to everything on the table, which was fine since her aunt had a tendency to cook too much food.

Risa slowly ate her food in silence as her aunt kept trying to talk to Joey through his mouthfuls, and was somehow able to understand his unintelligible speech. She rolled her eyes as her aunt kept asking him strange and rather personal questions that were slowly turning Risa's face redder than before.

Then as she felt her heart rate increasing she suddenly felt like there was someone behind her. She glanced behind her but didn't see anything so she returned to her meal. Moments later she spotted something dark out of the corner of her eye that vanished the moment she looked over to the door.

"Wow…I must still be tired from this morning," she muttered to herself.

She took another bite of her food but in the middle of swallowing it she felt a cold, tight pressure around her throat causing her to sputter and cough.

"Risa, you okay there?" Joey asked her after swallowing his mouthful.

"Yeah," Risa coughed. "I just…inhaled some of my food."

"Don't do that, it's not good for you," Joey said shoveling in another mouthful.

"I don't know how you actually manage to eat without inhaling it," Risa muttered to herself as he filled his mouth full to bursting.

Suddenly she felt it again. The same icy feeling, only this time, like a pair of sharp talons; it started right behind her ear and raked slowly down her neck. Risa convulsed and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

Suddenly Risa's aunt stood up. "I sense a disturbance in the force," she whispered dramatically.

"I sense a disturbance in my stomach," Joey murmured to Risa. "You're aunt's giving me the willies."

Risa agreed but for different reasons as the presence was still looming over her. "Um…Auntie?" Risa started.

"Risa, bring me my cards could you dear?"

"Sure thing, Auntie," Risa groaned.

Risa ran to her Aunt's room and grabbed her deck before coming back and handing her aunt the cards. Her aunt sat down and began shuffling furiously while Risa rested back in her chair, her appetite lost. Once her aunt was done shuffling, she began laying the cards down. She flipped one over.

"Close ties." Then another. "Spirit of possession." Then the last one. "Life altering decision."

Risa stared at the cards in shock having never really believed in her Aunt's readings…until now. The card that told of a current spirit of possession really freaked her out as she just finished feeling like someone was there. Joey on the other hand was looking at the cards in confusion.

"Um…who was that reading for?" Risa asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure. I just got this feeling that something was going on and so I had you get my cards. However, because you were the one who touched them first it could mean that this one was meant for you and those who are close to you," her Aunt explained feeling a sense of foreboding at the reading as well.

* * *

CM: Just what does this fortune spell? And where are these strange sensations coming from? Stay tuned! ^_^


	3. Bad Omen

**CHAPTER THREE: Bad Omen**

The next day went pretty well. Both Kairi and Risa didn't have a single feeling as if they were being watched. Risa tried to convince herself that what had happened the day before was just her imagination. Throughout the entire day, at least until lunch, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

"Hey, guys" Kairi approached the group's lunch table with enthusiasm while Ryou looked completely worn out.

"What happened to Ryou?" Tea asked.

"Gym class," Kairi explained. She shared the class with Ryou, and the poor guy was the only male out of thirty other females.

"It was terrible," he moaned. "We were doing kickboxing."

Risa smiled and shook her head.

"It's okay, Ryou, just think of all the dating possibilities," Joey told him patting him on the back.

Ryou blushed heavily at this suggestion and looked at the ground.

"You know Joey sometimes I wonder how you still don't have a girlfriend….but then you say something like that and it becomes quite clear," Tea told him shoving her way in between the two.

"Hey," Joey complained. "I'm very good dating material."

It was all Kairi could do to stifle the giggles that were threatening to break free. Risa had to look away and 'sneeze'.

"The only place you would be considered good dating material would be at a dog show," an arrogant voice laughed from behind them. Kairi and Risa looked to see a pretty boy, walking towards them with a girl on each arm.

"Duke Devlin? What are you doing here?" Yugi asked in surprise.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in," Duke said with a shrug.

"Why not do us all a favor and drop right back out," Joey said in annoyance.

"Duke Devlin? You mean dice boy? The guy who created Dungeon Dice Monsters with Maximillian Pegasus's help?" Risa asked raising an eyebrow.

"I've heard of that game. It looks like a lot of fun," Kairi exclaimed.

"Well hello, who do we have here?" Duke asked walking up to Kairi and Risa. "Why haven't you told me you guys picked up a couple of cuties, Yugi?"

"Uh…" Yugi stuttered not sure what to say.

"Duke, you may want to watch who you're saying that to," Tristan told him with a frown.

"Yeah, Kairi here is Kaiba's girl and Risa is the niece of Pegasus," Joey explained.

Kairi flushed and Risa put a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "Thanks, Joey, just tell the whole school while you're at it."

"What? It's not like the whole school doesn't already know," Joey retorted in his own defense.

"Joey, I'm not Kaiba's girl," Kairi sputtered with embarrassment.

"Really now," Duke said with a devilish smirk. "Would you like to be mine for a day?"

Kairi and Ryou both went red at that point. "Um…I…uh," Kairi mumbled in what was meant to be a polite decline.

"The thing is she's coming over to my house to play dungeons and dragons," Ryou spoke up. Kairi happily mouthed a quick thank you.

"Uh….no," Risa replied. "Oh, and by the way, asking someone out while you have two other girls on your arms is a good way to lose them as well."

"How could you say that we'd leave our Duke?" the two girls said in unison.

"Oh brother," Risa muttered.

"Well, if you'll all excuse me," Duke said, wrapping his arms once more around his two females and sauntered off.

"That guy really cheeses me off!" Joey grated, glaring daggers at Duke's back.

"Yeah, I think I can see why," Risa sighed. "Well I've got to get to class so I'll see you guys later." With that she stood up and left.

"Come on, Ryou," Kairi said grabbing Ryou's arm. "I hear we're making ice cream in chemistry."

After lunch Kairi and Risa were once again able to enjoy class after class without any distractions. By the time Risa reached her final class she was fully confident that she had dreamed up the whole thing.

Risa's last class of the day was Gym and that day she and the rest of the girls were playing soccer while the boys played baseball. The whole time they were playing Risa heard the constant giggles from the other girls as they stared at the boys letting the soccer ball pass by them time and time again.

When the end finally came Risa was extremely happy to leave and gladly accepted the instructor's assignment for her to put all the gear back into the storage room. She gathered up all the gear the girls were using and hefted it all the way back to the locker room. By the time she reached it all the other girls were finished changing and left, and Joey and Tristan told her they'd wait until she finished. She smiled at them and walked into the locker room.

Then she quickly got to the storage room and opened the door to throw the soccer gear inside but stopped as she once again felt that same presence and saw a shadowy figure standing just beyond the door. She closed her eyes in surprise and when they reopened the figure was gone but in it's place something heavy fell out of the closet and into her chest, forcing her to drop the gear she was carrying.

_'What?'_ Risa thought catching the object as it fell.

Trying to figure out what had fallen, she pushed the object off of her and jumped back almost immediately screaming involuntarily as she realized it was human. Not just that, but it was one whom she recognized. She gazed in horror as the face of Manabu stared up at her, his face frozen with inexplicable horror, and his mouth gaping open where his tongue had been cut out. Not only that, but his shirt had been ripped open and Egyptian symbols had been carved into his skin.

Risa was able to read a message in them: **Those who mess with my pet shall pay the price.**

It was then that Risa turned tail and fled the room, unable to stand the sight, or the stench, any longer.

* * *

"That was a fun class," Kairi said to Ryou as they exited their Chemistry class a few minutes early.

"It certainly was. Though I'm glad I had you as my partner," Ryou told her with a smile. "Thanks to you, we made the best ice cream in the entire class."

"Aw, it was nothing," Kairi replied modestly.

They walked out to the front of the school where they usually met up with the others. They saw a crowd gathered and wondered what was going on, but it didn't take them long to figure it out. Kairi had to fight back the bile rising in her throat when she saw a person impaled on the school flagpole. The scarier part was…

"Isn't that…?" Ryou began, sounding as sickened as she felt.

"Sachio," she managed in a choked whisper.

He couldn't have been there too long; his blood was still dripping down, staining the grass with a dark puddle of crimson. His eyes were wide and panicked, his mouth hung open in a silent scream, and there was something that looked similar to an eye carved in his forehead. The wind picked up, tossing the thick smell of iron their way. Kairi tore her eyes from the sight and, not two seconds later, vomited on the spot.

A few minutes later the police were called and Sachio was taken away on a blanket covered stretcher. "I can't believe this is happening," Ryou mumbled as he helped Kairi get a hold of herself after the initial shock. "We just saw him yesterday as annoying as ever."

Kairi just stared at the ground unable to speak because she wasn't sure she'd be able to hold down the rest of her lunch.

"Don't you worry, Kairi. If you need to cry to get your spirits back up here is my shoulder," Duke said stepping up behind them and holding out his arm in an offering.

"She really doesn't need this right now, Duke," Ryou mumbled stepping in between Duke and Kairi.

"Thanks, Ryou," Kairi muttered gratefully.

"Woah…what happened out here?" Tristan asked coming up from behind. "Don't tell me there was another one."

"What do you mean another one?" Kairi asked weakly looking back. She spotted Tristan watching the ambulance take Sachio's body away. Behind him Joey was walking up holding a weakened Risa who looked pale green.

"Turns out Manabu was murdered in the girls' locker room and Risa happened to find him," Joey explained. "Apparently he had his tongue cut out and some weird writing carved into his body."

"Don't remind me," Risa muttered holding her stomach.

"Hey, guys, are you alright?" a voice called out, and everyone turned to see Tea and Yugi running toward them.

"We just heard about what happened," Yugi continued breathlessly. "You two are safe right?"

"Yeah, Yugi, I'm fine," Risa muttered, though her face still looked rather green.

"I-I'll be okay," Kairi replied as she tried to keep herself from throwing up anymore and remove the image from her head.

Yugi and Tea both tried to say something but were interrupted as several cars pulled into the parking lot and three groups of people jumped out with cameras and microphones in tow.

"We're here at the scene where moments before a young man from Domino City High School was removed from the top of the school's flagpole. Let's ask around and see how this strange event could have occurred," one of the people with microphones said into the camera. "Miss, you were the one that found the body correct? Could you tell us exactly what the scene looked like when you found it?"

"I had just got out of class early, and came down here to meet a friend when I saw him up there. It was scary and really disgusting, and like, what kind of a creeper would you have to be to even consider doing something like that," the girl answered with a shiver. "I mean, he was like the coolest guy here anyway."

The other reporters were all trying to get information out of the officers as they tried to get Sachio's body out. "For the last time, stay back or I'll have you removed from the premises."

"Sir, we have another one," an officer called out as he exited the school with a stretcher and a bag on top. "He was found in the girl's locker room." Risa caught a glance of the officer's load and nearly threw up right then and there.

As the officers held a private conversation over what had happened, two reporters spotted Yugi's group and, realizing who they were, rushed over to the group. "You're Yugi Motto, the king of games. What is your opinion on this matter?" one asked shoving a microphone in Yugi's face.

The other one got face-to-face with Kairi in her excitement. "You're the charge of the famous Seto Kaiba are you not?"

"Uh...yeah," Kairi mumbled nervously.

"Miss, could you please tell us what you think about this tragic event?" The woman asked Kairi before shoving her microphone in her face.

"I-I... um..." Kairi stuttered.

"Did you know this boy personally?"

"Not really but..."

"What was your relation to this young man?"

Kairi continued to stutter, as Ryou tried to get the reporter to leave her alone, but the reporter just wouldn't take no for an answer. In the meantime, a third reporter had been eavesdropping on the police conversation and managed to learn who it was that had found the second body...but nothing else. He then decided to lead his crew over to where Risa was leaning heavily on Joey for support.

"You were the one who found the second body correct?" he asked shoving the microphone as close to her face as he could.

"Hey, can't you see she's not feeling well?" Joey demanded moving her away from the reporter.

"Hold on, you're the long lost niece of the Maximillian Pegasus," the reporter continued, ignoring Joey completely. "How does it feel knowing that you found one of your classmates murdered? Who do you think did it? Are you afraid you might be targeted next?"

Joey was really starting to get fed up with this person as Risa continued to look more and more ill. He wasn't the only one getting annoyed, however, as Ryou was still trying to get his reporter away from Kairi and Yugi and Tea were trying to dodge the third one.

"I've gotten word that you used to talk to the boy in question. Is it true that you were dating him?"

Kairi was saved from having to answer as a squeal of tires caught everyone's attention. They all turned to see a sleek limo pull into the parking lot, and Seto Kaiba get out of the vehicle before walking over and grabbing Kairi by the wrist.

"I'm taking this one home," he said clearly. He then dragged her off toward the car, and she somewhat gratefully waved goodbye to Ryou.

Risa stared after Kairi jealously as she drove away with Kaiba, safe from the reporters' questions. That doesn't mean she didn't try to escape. On the contrary, while the reporters were momentarily distracted by Kaiba's appearance, Risa tried to sneak away, but unfortunately the male reporter caught her movement and once again started to bombard her with questions.

Joey pushed Risa behind him, placing himself between her and the reporter. "Hey, why don't you try giving her some room ta breathe?" he said whilst shaking his fist at him.

Just when Risa thought she was going to barf, she felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. "I hope you don't mind, but we're going to have to cut the interview short," a velvety female voice said.

Risa glanced up and her eyes widened to see who it was. Before she could open her mouth to say something, she felt another hand on her opposite shoulder. Glancing over once more she nearly fell over in surprise. "Ishizu? Malik?"

"It is good to see you again, Risa," Malik greeted, his amethyst eyes sparklingly in the afternoon light. Risa was glad to see that he looked much happier since she last saw him. "Please allow us to take you somewhere less discomforting."

_"M-Malik...oh, thank you," _Risa thought as a relieved smile spread across her face. She gratefully allowed herself to be led away by Malik and Ishizu.

"Pharaoh, we need you to come with us as well," a deep voice said before grabbing a hold of Yugi and dragging him along.

"Wait, but… I guess I'll see you guys later!" Yugi called out to Joey and the others.

Malik led Risa quite a ways away from the school before he finally stopped and turned to her. She sat down heavily on the ground and sighed tiredly. "Thanks for that, but what are you guys doing here?" she asked holding back what was in her stomach.

"We've come because we received word that your museum discovered the Millenium tablet," Ishizu answered walking up with Odion and Yugi in her wake.

"I take it that wasn't supposed to happen?" Yugi guess with a hint of dread in his voice.

Ishizu shook her head no. "About a month ago, a strange sandstorm appeared in the desert, along with a brilliant light for which no one knew the source. But one thing we did know was that it was in the same place the Pharaoh's tomb was buried."

"Didn't Mokuba say that was when the tablet was found?" Yugi asked Risa.

"Yep, he said it was found on the outskirts of town," Risa murmured as she welcomed the distraction from what just occurred. "I'm more curious about that storm though."

"Unfortunately we don't have any information on it," Malik told her. "We were hoping to examine the tablet before they put it on display, but apparently all the items were stolen and the tablet cracked."

"Uh...actually that would be my fault," Risa admitted dejectedly. "I...snuck into the special area of the museum and in my excitement I touched the tablet. Then I talked Kairi into touching it too and a light appeared. Next thing I knew the items were gone and the thing cracked. I...I'm really sorry I destroyed it, Ishuzu."

"This is indeed troubling," Ishizu murmured with a light frown.

"It all should have ended when that tablet was buried. No mere human force could be the cause of these events," Odion included.

"In other words, Risa, you needn't blame yourself so harshly," Malik comforted.

"Thanks, but I still can't help but feel like it's my fault," Risa murmured.

"Well, anyway, what was going on at your school?" Malik asked changing the subject.

Risa blanched at his question and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Well, actually there were two deaths at our school," Yugi explained pulling the spotlight away from Risa for a bit. "Two of our classmates were killed, in really horrible ways."

"I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific," Ishizu told him.

"Well... I didn't see the body, I only heard about it," Yugi admitted. "But it sounded like both of them had weird symbols carved into their skin."

Then Malik, Ishizu, and Odion exchanged glances and looked at Risa who was shivering on the ground. "Risa...did you see one of them?" Ishizu asked caringly.

"Y-yeah...it was...Manabu. His tongue was cut out...and there was writing carved into his chest," Risa answered. She paused for a moment as she tried to keep her stomach contents down.

"You don't have to push yourself, Risa," Malik told her concernedly.

"N-no...it's fine," Risa murmured breathing heavily. "I...I could understand wh-what was written."

"What did it say?" Ishizu asked. "This information may very well be critical."

"I-it said...it said...'those who mess with my pet...shall pay the price'. What's worse is...I think 'pet' refers to me," Risa told them shivering.

The four stared at her, unsure of what to say. Odion was the first to break the silence. "The other boy... who was he?"

"His name was Sachio," Yugi answered so that Risa didn't have to. "He'd been trying to get Kairi to go out with him for the past few weeks."

"Kairi is that girl you brought with you to visit us once, isn't she?" Malik asked her.

"Yeah, that's the one," Risa confirmed.

"Odion and I will try to look in on this matter," Ishizu told them after several moments of deep thought. "In the meantime, I think it would be best if you two shared with Risa your experiences prior to the burial of the millenium items," she added to her brother and Yugi.

"It might be wise if your other friend learned of this as well, as Seto Kaiba will doubtfully share with her that information," Odion added.

"I'll tell her," Risa told them taking a deep breath. "Just, let me know what's been happening."

* * *

CM: Is it really Risa's fault? Will they accept the goings on of their friends? What could have done that to Manabu and Sachio? Stay tuned! ^_^


	4. Something Wicked

CHAPTER FOUR: Something Wicked

"Seto, wait! Please just listen!"

Kaiba had wasted no time getting them home, though somehow the hastened trip had been even tenser than was usual. After they arrived home, Seto sat them down and demanded what the media and police were doing at school. Kairi and Mokuba both alternatively explained what had happened, though both did so reluctantly. Seto did not take the news well at all. What was even worse was that he was threatening to pull both her and Mokuba out of school. Mokuba wasn't entirely thrilled about it but at the same time he could understand why his big brother was over reacting. Kairi was just flat out opposed to it, and so as soon as Kaiba tried to end the matter there she began chasing him down in order to try and reason with him.

_'Good luck,'_ Mokuba thought.

"You're being completely irrational about this!" Kairi exclaimed.

"Irrational? Two people at your school were found dead," Kaiba shot at her. "And from what I heard, it looks like more of that Egyptian nonsense. I've had enough of it, and I won't allow Yugi and his friends to drag you into one of their problems."

"Yugi and the others had nothing to do with this," Kairi protested, not understanding why Kaiba would immediately point the blame at them. There was no way they would have a hand in something like this. It was just some weirdo that those two must have consecutively ticked off, right? "Seto… I'm almost graduated. One more semester and then I'll be done with school. If you pull me out now I'll have to wait even longer."

"Then maybe you should wait longer," Kaiba told her seriously. "At least then you wouldn't have to play their stupid games." With that he turned on his heel and continued to head to his office to do some more work.

He was brought to a halt when Kairi grabbed a fistful of the back of his shirt. He turned around, about to berate her from keeping him from his job, but… hurt-filled blue eyes were there to meet him. Kaiba was a bit taken aback, since the last time she had made that sort of face was after her foster father had beaten her and casted her outside while it was raining.

"Why don't you ever listen?" she whispered. "You used to listen to me and Moki all the time… why are you being so unfair?"

Kaiba's expression didn't change, but his next words made it obvious that her words had hit the mark. "If you want to finish school then fine, do what you want," he muttered pulling his shirt out of her grasp. "But stay away from Yugi's group, otherwise I will pull you out."

Kairi still found this to be an odd demand but she didn't question what little good fortune she was given and nodded, silently promising that she would do as he said before leaving him to do his work.

"Wow, I'm surprised you actually managed to convince him," Mokuba said, jumping out from his hiding place around the corner as she passed by. "Especially after that prank you pulled on him a month ago."

"Which one was that again?" Kairi asked.

"When you drew the smile on his face in permanent marker," Mokuba murmured trying not to laugh. "It really was funny and all...and it was nice to see him smiling again, but you really shouldn't have done that to him. But anyway, I actually have to agree with him on not going with Yugi for awhile. They've had strange things happen before, but nothing this dangerous. It's best to just wait until it all blows over."

"I already promised Seto I wouldn't," Kairi told Mokuba with a smile. It was hard not being able to talk to Yugi and the others for a while. Especially... "But I don't think that should include Risa or Ryou, do you? If you think about it."

"W-well I guess not, as long as it has to do with school I don't think brother would mind," Mokuba replied slowly. He remembered seeing the other side of Ryou during the Battle City Tournament but he figured that part of him was gone for good. "Well I got to go help brother out. We're working on something really cool that'll make the illusions even better. See ya later!"

"Alright, see you, Moki," Kairi said with a small laugh as the kid ran off. "Well... better get started on my own project, or else Ryou and I will fall behind."

* * *

Kairi sat up in her room for several hours trying to concentrate on her school work. It was hard though, considering everything that happened that day. She tapped the end of her pencil against the desk, trying very hard to read the passage she must have skimmed over at least ten times by now. Try as she might, she couldn't get the image of Sachio's dead corpse out of her mind. And Seto…. she hadn't seen him so worked up over something in a very long time. Was it that maybe he was… worried?

Kairi sat up in her room for several hours trying to concentrate on her school work. It was hard though, considering everything that happened that day. She tapped the end of her pencil against the desk, trying very hard to read the passage she must have skimmed over at least ten times by now. Try as she might, she couldn't get the image of Sachio's dead corpse out of her mind. And Seto…. she hadn't seen him so worked up over something in a very long time. Was it that maybe he was… worried?

She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts and focus on her work, but they continued to plague her no matter what she did. After about another half hour of this, the phone rang making her jump and pulling her out of her own thoughts.

"Hello?" she sighed after picking up the phone.

"Hey, Kairi. How ya holding up?" It was Risa and she sounded both worried and drained. "Kaiba put you under house arrest or something?"

"Something like that," Kairi said with a laugh of relief. She set her pencil down and relaxed back in her chair. "What about you? Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm hanging out with Malik, Ishizu, Odion and Yugi," Risa explained. "They saved me from the reporters." Kairi heard a sigh and a thud on the other line. "So...did Kaiba tell you anything when you got back? Or at least Mokuba?"

"Tell me what?" Kairi asked curiously. Seto never really shared anything with her unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. Mokuba was a lot more open with her, but even he hadn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary. "Seto told me that I wasn't allowed to hang around Yugi and the others for a while, and Moki seemed to actually agree with him." Now that she thought about it, that was a little odd. "Something about weird things always happening when they're involved."

"Yeah well...they're right about the weird things," Risa told her. "Odion actually mentioned that he probably wouldn't say anything. You see..." And so Risa explained what Yugi and Malik had told her and added in little comments here and there to show where they were. Once she finished there was a long pause. "So yeah, that's what's been happening."

"Oh my gosh," Kairi murmured, trying to process everything that her friend just shared. "And to think, all of that was happening and we had no clue. So they think that this…. dark Egyptian magic is coming back again?"

"Exactly," Risa replied. "I actually explained to them what happened to us at the museum and they think it wasn't our fault...but the fault of the dark magic coming back."

"Okay... but what does that have to do with us?" Kairi asked slowly. The fact that it happened when Risa and Kairi were there was unnerving as it were, but it also made Kairi think that the occurrence at the museum and the murders at school were connected somehow.

"I noticed that as well. Ishizu couldn't understand why we seem to be involved with this one," Risa told her. "They're looking into it right now...and we're actually going to check out the place where they found the tablet to see if we can't find any clues on how it got there."

"I'd go with you... but I already promised Seto I wouldn't get involved with this," Kairi told her sadly. "He's already threatening to pull me out of school. Sorry, but I'm going to have to pass." On a brighter note she said, "But you'll let me know if you find anything, right?"

"Naturally, I promise to keep you up to date as best as I can," Risa said excitedly. "I'll even take pictures and take a lot of notes so I don't forget anything."

Kairi smiled at her friends words and then started as a beep sounded in her phone. "Looks like I've got another call, I'll talk to you later," she told Risa.

"Alright then, I'll call you once we're done looking over the site."

"Okay, have a good night," Kairi said before switching lines "Hello? Kairi Mitsuko speaking," she answered.

"Hello, Kairi, it's Ryou. I didn't get to talk to you much when it happened so I was wondering how you were holding up after all that."

"Ryou..." Kairi said softly, a warm smile spreading across her lips. She was happy that he called. For some reason, talking to Ryou made her calm. "Yeah, sorry about that, you know how Seto gets sometimes."

"Oh yes, I know very well," he replied with a light laugh. "He seems very attached to you."

"Not you too, Ryou," Kairi said with a small groan. "Why does everyone always have to tease me about that? He's my guardian for goodness sake."

"I'm sorry," Ryou chuckled. "It's just that he doesn't seem to show such worry for anyone else except his brother. So it kind of makes people wonder what is really going on at your place."

"I promise there is NOTHING going on," Kairi stated resolutely. "Unless you call threatening to toss me on the streets grounds for love."

"Well, it is Seto after all. He has a very strange way of showing his emotions," Ryou pointed out. "In fact, I'm almost willing to bet that he's not going to let you come to school anymore."

Kairi blinked. Wow... when did Ryou become a psychc. "He wasn't... but I managed to talk him into letting me go. There's no way I could stop going to school."

"Well that's good, I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to get another partner for our project," Ryou sighed in relief. "How are you doing with that anyway?"

"I've been making good progress, no worries," Kairi assured him. "By the time we're finished with it, our project will be the best in class."

"I look forward to it," Ryou said. "By the way… I don't suppose we could have a private chat tomorrow? There's something very important I'd like to discuss with you, but I'm afraid it's something I'd rather do face to face."

"Of course, Ryou," Kairi said with a laugh. "You can talk to me about anything."

"Thanks, I'm glad I can talk to you so easily," Ryou told her. "It makes things a lot simpler this way." There was a short silence in which Kairi was curious as to why he said that, but she didn't have long to dwell as Ryou started speaking again. "So I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Right," Kairi said.

"You really are very brave," she heard him murmur. "Most girls would stay away from school after what happened."

"Maybe," Kairi said thoughtfully. Then playfully she added, "But, I don't have to worry, cuz I know you'll protect me, right, Ryou?"

"Of course," Ryou replied, though his voice seemed rather different somehow. "Bye, and good luck with your part of the project." With that he hung up, leaving Kairi alone with her own thoughts.

After that Kairi gave up studying and decided to go to bed early.

* * *

Miles away inside of a phone booth, a pale hand put the phone down on its receiver.

"You're sure this will work?" a deep, rumbling voice asked from nowhere.

"Of course," the caller answered easily. "She's been kept in the dark about everything that's happened so she has no reason to suspect him. By this time tomorrow, the plan will be set. Just make sure you do your part," he added as an afterthought.

"As long as she is with him, I will have no troubles," the voice answered.

"Good, so long as that interloper doesn't interfere, things should go quite smoothly," the caller said before stepping out into the cool night air. The full moon bathed the person in a cool white light, causing silver hair and pale skin to practically glow, though the figure was anything but angelic. But what glowed more brightly than hair or skin, hung around the person's neck; a gold necklace, shining eerily, as if it was looking forward to something long awaited.

* * *

The next morning, Risa found herself in an area outside of the Battle City limits where a large crater took up a place where trees should have been. "Wow...so this is where they found it?" Risa breathed. "No wonder they wanted to keep it a secret...this is incredible. What could have caused the crater?"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Malik told Risa, testing the footing before sliding down into the large hole before motioning her to follow. "Though if it is what we think it is then I'm just grateful that no worse has happened as of yet."

"I wish you'd quit talking in such a mysterious tone, it's really creeping me out," Risa muttered. "Too bad Yugi couldn't see this though...he'd be in awe."

"Yes, but he needed to go back to school, as did you but you insisted on coming," Malik pointed out.

"True enough. But I wasn't about to miss an opportunity like this one," Risa told him. "Now let's go see what we can find."

Malik nodded and was about to continue looking around when something made him do a double take. "Risa... your sleeve is... glowing."

"Huh?" Risa exclaimed looking down. It was true, her sleeve had a dull yellow glow coming from it. "That's strange...my bracelet couldn't possibly be..." She didn't finish her thought as she pulled back her sleeve to reveal a golden bracelet with an eye in its center and seven indents glowing as brightly as if someone flashed a flashlight in her eyes. "Malik, Ishizu...what's going on?"

"This is..." Ishizu started, her eyes going wide. "Sister, do you know anything about this?" Malik asked Ishizu, unable to take his eyes off the glowing piece of jewelry.

"Impossible, the bracelet of the fallen empress," Ishizu murmured. "It was a legend in the ancient scriptures, but many of our ancestors believed that it was nothing more than a sign of the princess who vanished. Nothing else is really known...but according to the legend it had a...certain connection to...oh, I've forgotten. It never really interested me as it was supposed to be nothing more."

"Hold on a moment...what is..." Risa started but stopped as the glowing intensified and she covered her eyes to block it.

Suddenly images flashed through her minds eyes. She thought she saw people she knew yet didn't. None of it made sense and she began to get dizzy as her brain started to get to full. "Ah… make it stop," she murmured, clutching her head.

"Risa!" a voice called to her as well as a cool, firm grip. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"M-make it stop," she murmured again unable to fight the pressure that was building up in her head. "It-it's too much." The images continued to flood through her mind's eye some would shoot by so fast she couldn't catch any of it while others lingered just long enough.

"Risa...tell me what's wrong," the voice pleaded.

It sounded so far away now that she couldn't even tell if she really did hear it. The voice continued calling to her until the sound disappeared entirely, and she became swallowed up in darkness.

* * *

Yugi burst into the front doors of the school just as the school bell rang. He accidentally slept in and was now late for class, and he still needed to get his books from his locker. He quickly dashed through the empty hallway as fast as his small legs would allow.

_'Geez, am I going to be this short forever?'_ Yugi thought dismally as he finally reached his locker and entered the combination before opening it.

He almost jumped back in surprise as, lying on top of all his books, was the Millennium puzzle, intact and just like he'd left it.

"Yugi, it's about time you got here, I was beginning to wonder if you'd skipped school," a familiar voice murmured inside his head.

"Atem?" Yugi asked in amazement. Sure enough, Atem's form materialized over the millennium item. "What are you doing here?! Not that I'm not happy to see you but… I thought that you went home after our last duel."

"I did, but I've been summoned once again," Atem told him. "But that's of little importance here. Where are your friends Kairi and Risa?"

"Well...Risa's probably checking out the excavation site with Malik, Ishizu, and Odion, and Kairi's probably in class...WHERE I SHOULD BE RIGHT NOW!" he panicked after looking at his watch and seeing how late he was.

"Yugi, please listen to me," Atem said firmly, snapping Yugi out of his momentary freak out. "Something very terrible has happened, and I don't know if I can stop it. I need your help."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked surprised and worried. "What's happening?"

"I don't have time to explain what I know right now. Risa should be safe as long as Odion and Ishizu are with her, but right now you need to find Kairi. I fear for her safety," Atem told him hurriedly.

Yugi nodded and picked up the puzzle, putting it in his bag with his books. Then he ran off to class where he was sure she'd be.

"I just hope I'm not too late," Atem thought worriedly.

* * *

CM: What could possibly be so urgent? And what sort of danger is Kairi in? Stay tuned!


	5. A Foreboding Visit

CHAPTER FIVE: A Foreboding Visit

_'I wonder what Ryou wanted to speak with me in private about?_' Kairi wondered to herself as she browsed through the small manga section that was located in the further most corner of the library.

Hardly anyone ever went there except for the geeky otaku kids, and Kairi was what most would call a closet otaku. She didn't have to worry though since everyone else was in class. She didn't feel too badly about skipping since today was a review day… though she really wished Ryou would hurry all the same.

_'It must be pretty important if he didn't want to talk about it in front of anyone else.'_

She jumped as she felt a hand press down on her shoulder and spun around to find Ryou standing there blinking.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he murmured. "I'm glad you were able to get out of class long enough to meet with me at least. Sorry if this was short notice, but I really did need to talk to you."

"It's no problem," Kairi assured him with a smile as she turned to face him. "The teachers know I'm a good student so they trust me. So you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes," Ryou nodded nervously as he quickly glanced around the stacks to see if there were any students nearby. In a quick gasping whisper he blurted out, "Um...so there's really nothing with you and Kaiba?"

"Ryou, he's my guardian, why would you think there be anything like that?" Kairi replied with a sigh.

He looked as if a great weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders and a small smile came to his lips. "Good...because I was wondering, if you'd like to go to a movie or my place or something," Ryou finally got out.

"R-Right now?" Kairi asked nervously.

Ryou nodded. "If it's not too much trouble."

Kairi hesitated. This was rather odd. Ryou had never asked her out like this before. "Don't get me wrong, I'd like to but… school's just starting and…" She hated telling him no but she was worried about getting into trouble.

The weight which had disappeared seemed to suddenly reappear and he visibly sagged in the shoulders. "You don't want to go with me?" Ryou asked sounding hurt.

"No, that's not it...it's just that skipping one class is one thing. I can't skip an entire day of school," Kairi tried to explain.

"Of course that's it," Ryou sighed. "But then again, it's not really a question of do you want to." Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist and roughly pushed her up against the book shelf.

Kairi gasped as her back hit the bookshelf sending a sharp pain shooting through her body. "Ouch! Ryou, what's wrong with…." She stopped as she looked up at him and saw that his face was very different. Also, his touch was cold. The hand which held her arm felt almost as if it were made of solid ice. "You…. You're not Ryou," she whispered softly.

"Just now catching on?" he asked her menacingly. "Unfortunately for you, there's no one who can help you out here. Not even the great Seto Kaiba can rescue you from the fate I have planned for you. Though if he ever tried he'd end up like that buffoon who dared to try to touch my light." He held her against the shelves and put his face next to hers. He hissed, "My little light will come with me if she doesn't want to discover another body covered in red."

Kairi's eyes widened in horror as the image of Sachio's body hanging from the flagpole flashed through her mind. "You can't have…. You didn't…"

"Oh, but I did," he said, and the smile he wore was one which Kairi would have never imagined Ryou wearing.

'That's because this isn't Ryou,' she thought. But then who…?

"How could you?" Kairi choked out as she felt tears begin to come to her eyes. "How could you do something so horrible?"

"He strayed into my territory, and anyone who takes that fatal step pays the price," he explained with his smile.

"Get away... Let go of me, Bakura!" Kairi demanded, her voice rising as she tried to struggle out of his hold. She wasn't sure why she called him that, she was sure she'd never met this… whoever this was before. Yet, somehow she knew that was his namesake.

She was prevented from saying any more as the male placed a couple of fingers over her mouth. He smiled even more menacingly as she recognized him and spoke his name. What's more, he could see the terror begin to well up within her.

"You might want to think twice about raising your voice, my light," Bakura whispered dangerously. "We are in a library, and it would do you no good to cause a scene, unless you want someone else to get hurt."

"Why are you doing this?" Kairi asked him, in a hushed whisper, trying to keep calm despite the precarious situation she was in. "And what have you done with Ryou?"

"My reasons will become apparent in due time," he answered calmly. "As for your friend, Ryou, he's taking a little nap."

"Give him back," Kairi said, swallowing down her fear, her tears stopping as the anger began to take over. "Give Ryou back. If you've done anything to hurt him, I'll..."

"He's not in any pain," he told her seriously. "But I can easily change that."

Kairi calmed down a bit so as not to provoke him, but her fears could not completely be quelled as she tried to sort things out. How did Bakura come to be pretending to be Ryou? What did he do to him? and Why did he want her? These questions buzzed inside her head until her mind returned to the conversation she had with Risa the night before. Then it dawned on her just how dangerous he really was.

Bakura gave a deep chuckle as he traced his fingers over her jaw line and gently tilted her face up so that she was looking into his smoldering copper eyes. "So many questions streaming through that head of yours. Not to worry, they shall all be answered in time."

Kairi's heart skipped a beat. Had he just read her thoughts? It was really hard to think coherently when their bodies were so close. She could smell his cologne wafting off of him, as well as taste his breath which lightly tickled her face in a teasing manner. It smelt like a faint mixture of vanilla and honey. It was rather enticing and Kairi couldn't help but find herself drawn to it.

She tried to stand erect, with shoulders back. "I'm not afraid of you," she told him resolutely.

This only caused him to smile more. "You're exactly how I remember you…. Perfect. That makes it all the more reassuring that things WILL go my way." He placed himself closer to her and Kairi tried to shy away but had little room to. "I have many plans for you, my light," Bakura told her, continuing to trace his fingers along the supple areas of her face. "And they will all become clear to you eventually, that is, after I've taken what should have been mine long ago. The very fact that you are here and I was able to return was no mistake."

"I don't have anything that belongs to you," Kairi said with an attempt of defiance.

"Quite the contrary, my little light. You, and everything you have, belongs to me," he chuckled before closing what little gap there was and pressing his lips firmly but gently against hers.

Kairi's eyes widened in alarm as an electric shock seemed to surge through her body, paralyzing her. Her vision left her as her eyes fluttered closed, intensifying the softness she felt, and the sweet tang that she tasted despite the callous nature of their owner. Why did this seem so... familiar somehow? Kairi's eyes flew open once more as she suddenly realized what she was doing and turned her face away, forcefully breaking the contact.

The contact which was…her very first kiss.

"Even your first kiss belongs to me," he chuckled darkly.

Kairi couldn't even find words to spit at him. She was still too much in shock. She was saved the trouble when her vision was suddenly filled with a strange glowing and she looked down to see, much to her even greater surprise, the Millennium ring that he used to wear all the time. It was glowing eerily, with a light that was anything but warm.

"It seems we'll have to continue this another time," he murmured, more to himself than to her she felt. "Until next time, my light."

His body went slack and crumpled to the floor. She was released from her uncomfortable position against the wall. Her arms and wrists ached with the stiffness of being held for so long.

"Ngh… " Ryou groaned from the floor as he turned and looked at her, as if only realizing she was there.

She watched his eyes as they came open and she could not believe what she saw. Her friend was back and the black entity which had possessed him just seconds before was gone.

"Kairi? What's going on?"

Kairi didn't answer him. Instead she ran passed him and out of the library, wanting to get as far away as was possible. On her way out she bumped into someone, but didn't stop to see who it was until a hand caught her wrist for the second time.

"Kairi, are you alright?" It was Yugi and he looked very concerned. "What happened in there?" he asked motioning to the library door.

"I... I don't know," Kairi replied, her voice surprisingly steady considering what she had just experienced. Then she remembered where they were both supposed to be. "Yugi... what are you doing out of class?"

Yugi sweat dropped at the question and rubbed the back of his head. "Actually I came in a little late and when I saw you weren't in class, I came looking for you," he explained nervously.

From the deep recesses of the back of his mind came a voice. _"Yugi... perhaps I should speak to her,"_ Atem suggested to the high school boy.

"You sure?" Yugi asked surprised.

_"Yes, I've got a feeling about what happened in that library," _Atem replied. Yugi nodded and allowed Atem to take over for the first time in a long while.

"Kairi...tell me what happened in there?" he demanded.

Kairi saw the transformation happen and scrutinized him for a moment. "Yugi? No... you're not him, are you?"

"While that is indeed the case, I am not your enemy either," Atem assured her. "I am Atem and I would like to know just who it was that was with you inside that room."

The tone of his voice assured her of his sincerity. Still, Kairi glanced over her shoulder, as if worried that she might have been followed. "Can we… please go somewhere else?"

"If it would make you feel safer, then yes," Atem agreed before following Kairi away. They walked quickly through the hallways and didn't stop until they were on the roof of the building. "Feeling better?" he asked calmly.

Kairi nodded trying to calm herself down. "I'm sorry, it's just that a lot has been happening in such a short amount of time."

"You seem to be dealing with it rather well," Atem noted.

"I've had an… interesting upbringing," Kairi replied.

"I know," Atem murmured. "I learned about your step father and your relation with Kaiba the same time everyone else did."

Kairi stared up at him. "I've seen you before," she said softly. "I thought I was crazy at first but… after what happened just now….Exactly who are you? And what are you doing in Yugi's body? And are you related to the one who's possessing Ryou?"

"We are in some respects," Atem admitted. "Neither one of us can exist and communicate without a host, but unlike him, I am friends with my host. He forcefully takes over his. Now tell me, what did he do to you?"

"He... kept calling me his 'light'," Kairi said after a moment. "And he... kissed me. Don't ask me why, because I don't know. And... he's the one who killed Sachio, and possibly Manabu."

"No, I'm sure Manabu was not his doing," Atem muttered darkly. "He called you his light? I was afraid of this...it seems he might be seeing you as if you were her."

"What? Who?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Someone long dead and forgotten. It's nothing you should worry about," Atem told her quickly.

"I was just molested by a ghost possessing my best friend," Kairi said in a slightly offended tone. "How is that not something to worry about?"

"Believe me, I will try to handle this matter as I have done in the past," Atem replied calmly. "In the mean time, it's best if you avoid Ryou for a while."

"How can I possibly just stand by when one of my best friends is possibly suffering?" she demanded earnestly.

Atem stared at her before giving a small chuckle. "You… truly do resemble her greatly. But I implore you, heed my warning, and tread with caution from now on."

"On one condition," Kairi proposed. "I want to know more about the one who possessed Ryou's body."

_"Huh? Didn't Risa explain it to her?"_ Yugi asked Atem within the confines of his mind.

"I'll see," Atem told him the aloud, "Kairi, you spoke with Risa last night didn't you?" She nodded at his question but was clearly still a little confused by it. "What did she tell you about all that's happened?"

"Well...she told me why you guys all disappeared all those times, and about a spirit that lived in Yugi, and of Malik's dark side," Kairi answered. "She was going to tell me something else but then Ryou called and I told her I'd talk to her later today."

"Kairi, listen, the spirit of the millennium ring is what is possessing Ryou right now, and he will stop at nothing to obtain what he desires," Atem stated seriously.

"Ryou will be okay, right?" Kairi asked after a while.

"I don't think Bakura will readily harm Ryou. He does need him as a host after all."

Bakura…. So that really is what the spirit went by. She had suddenly called him that when he had her in his grasp. How had she known? While she was held in his grip she had a sudden flash of… she did not know how to put it, intuition perhaps? Funny since that was Ryou's last name.

"Maybe if I talk to Ryou…." She began but Atem placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"It is not safe for you to be near him. I understand your worry for him, but I'm afraid there is nothing you can do for him."

"You sound really worried," Kairi said.

"I am concerned for you. You strike me as the kind of person who would willingly go to your friend's rescue at the cost of your own safety," Atem stated seriously. "Bakura will not hesitate to use that against you."

"So then what am I supposed to do?" Kairi asked. Did he really expect her to go about her daily life as if nothing was happening?

"Stay calm, stay out of harm's way, and allow us to fix this," Atem ordered. "That's all you really can do right now."

_"Atem, I don't think this is such a good idea,"_ Yugi pointed out. _"She's pretty stubborn and telling her to leave it alone might just make her want to help out even more. That's just the way she is."_

_"Believe me, Yugi, I wouldn't doubt it for a moment,"_ Atem told him before looking directly at Kairi. "Please, just take care of Kaiba and Mokuba," he said to her. "If things turn out for the worst, they may need you."

Kairi's eyes widened. The thought of Seto and Mokuba getting hurt was enough to make her feel ill. "Okay… I'll… stay out of the way."

"Thank you," Atem murmured in relief. "Now, if Risa's out of town, then it would probably be best to wait until she returns." Then he said to Yugi. _"It would be best if you both returned to class now...I'm sure people will begin to be suspicious if you don't return soon."_

Kairi watched as Yugi's eyes seemed to cloud over and all at once cleared and she knew her friend was back.

"Don't worry, Kairi. We won't let anything happen to Ryou. That's a promise," he told her with a reassuring smile.

Kairi couldn't help but return it. "Thanks, Yugi. Just, please don't let anyone know I was speaking with you. Otherwise Seto will tear my head off."

"Don't worry, I promise," Yugi chuckled nervously. He knew how pigheaded the guy could be when it came to magic and wasn't all that surprised he had told her to stay away from them. "We'll keep you posted on what's happening, okay?"

"Okay," Kairi agreed.

* * *

Back in the library...

What have I done?" Ryou asked out loud, sitting up on the floor between the stacks. "I let him get to her. I hurt her." He covered his face with his hands. "Why her? Why of all people did it have to be HER?"

_"You will not interfere with my plans,"_ a voice from the back of his mind declared. _"She is mine, and soon enough she will come to me willingly."_

"No! I won't let you use her like you've used me," Ryou thought adamantly.

_"You're wrong about two very important things,"_ Bakura told him. The voice was dark and filled with evil, _"I'm not just using her, and you won't be able to stop me."_

"You'll never get near her," Ryou thought again. "I'll cut off my own legs if it will keep you from getting to her."

_"Do you honestly think you have that kind of power?"_ Bakura chuckled blackly. _"Besides, your usefulness to me is quickly running short."_

"Kairi, please," Ryou prayed silently. "Whatever you do, don't come near me."

* * *

"Risa...please wake up."

Risa heard the soft voice speaking to her again through her darkness. It was low and distant, but it was calming. She tried to reply to it, but was unable to move anything. Darkness completely surrounded her only to be broken as strange images passed through her mind again and again; but she still could make nothing of them.

"Risa..."

_"There it is again...I need to move toward that voice,"_ she thought desperately. _"I can't get out unless I move toward that voice."_ The darkness began to ebb as she drew closer to the comforting voice, until suddenly she was blinded by a bright light and found herself blinking profusely to clear out the glares.

"Thank goodness," Malik breathed in relief. "For a while I began to wonder if you would ever awaken."

"Where am I?" Risa asked trying to sit up but finding her body felt like somebody removed all her insides and replaced them with rocks and sand. She decided the horizontal was the better position to remain in for the time being.

"We're in a hotel my sister rented," Malik explained to her, stroking her forehead soothingly. "She and Odion thought it best to return to Egypt and discover more about that bracelet you wear. They wanted me to go with them but I wanted to stay to make sure you were alright."

"Wh-what happened?" Risa muttered groggily. "How long have I been out?"

"Only for a few hours."

"Oh, the way you were acting it sounded as if I was out for a couple days," Risa murmured.

"Sorry," Malik apologized with a small chuckle. "Can you sit up?"

"I'm not sure. I feel like I'm filled with lead."

"Then let me help you." Malik took a hold of her arm and with gentleness and care he helped her into a sitting position so she was leaning against the headboard.

"Thanks," Risa breathed, closing her eyes trying to clear her head. The darkness seemed to want to take her back.

"Please don't pass out again," Malik asked her in alarm as he noticed her begin to slide down when she closed her eyes.

Opening her eyes and sitting up she looked at her friend. "I'm just resting my eyes, no worries," Risa told him.

"So what exactly happened back in the crater?" he inquired curiously.

"I'm not sure," Risa murmured. "One minute I'm walking around the bottom of the crater and I notice the bracelet glowing. The next thing I know is I've got these images darting through my head like lightning. I couldn't understand any of them." She placed a heavy hand on her forehead to try to remember what she saw. "I'm sorry...they all...disappeared."

"Why on earth are you apologizing?" Malik said with a laugh. "Perhaps you need to rest a little more."

"No, I'm fine, really," Risa told him a little more insistently. "If I just move around a little, I should be okay." She turned in the bed and let her feet hang over the edge.

"Well, in that case, would you like to go somewhere with me?" he asked her hopefully.

"Where?" Risa asked curiously as she tried to put her weight on her feet and stand.

"To the docks," Malik answered as he put his hand under her armpit and helped to a standing position. "I wanted to show you something interesting there."

"Uh..." Risa wasn't sure, but she found that her energy was at least somewhat returning and she slowly took a first tentative step and found she did have control of her body again, until she almost fell in the process.

Malik was fast, however, and quickly caught her. Risa couldn't help but be very aware of how close their bodies were but being unable to do much about it. "Ah… sorry," Risa muttered.

Malik just shook his head in understanding. "You'll feel better after you've moved around some. Now let's go."

* * *

"So why are we here, Malik?" Risa asked looking around curiously once they had arrived in a warehouse at the docks on Malik's motorcycle.

"This is where I kind of had headquarters set up during the battle city tournament," Malik explained.

"Wow…this place is huge…just like the rest of the city," Risa said in amazement. "So you said you might have an idea about what happened to me and Kairi?"

"Yes…there was another legend I heard when I was younger. There is nothing written about it in the ancient scriptures but I heard that long ago the li…" Malik began but stopped in the middle of his sentence and started staring at the floor.

"That long ago the what?" Risa asked turning to look at him. He didn't answer right away and she started to get worried. "Malik...hey, are you okay? Look you don't have to tell me the legend if it's that hard."

He didn't answer but a soft chuckle started to escape his lips. "Malik?" Risa repeated warily.

"Hehe…Malik has taken a temporary leave of absence," came the reply from Malik's lips in a deep cold voice. "I, however, have quite a few things I wish to discuss…my pet." He looked up from staring at the floor and she could see his eyes had changed, what were vibrant and alive only seconds ago were now dark and devoid of humanity.

"Pet? Malik what's getting..." Risa started, but the image of Manabu flashed through her mind. "Pet...you were...you killed Manabu. Are you...his evil half?" She remembered what Malik had told her about him during the Battle City Tournament. What was his name…Marik?

"I'm his better and much stronger half," came the dark voice.

"Let him go," Risa muttered. "I don't know what you want with me, but don't drag him into it."

"Unfortunately, my dear, that will be quite impossible," Malik's darker half replied with a chuckled.

Risa retreated away from him, but with every step she took back, he took a step forward. When her back hit the solid surface of a pile of crates, she impulsively glanced around for somewhere to run; a knife edge of fear slowly began to crawl up her spine as she realized he had her cornered. "Okay, so what is it that you want?" Risa asked, trying to stall for time.

"I want that fool to suffer for sending me to the shadow realm. Since he seems rather smitten with you, claiming you as my own will be a good start."

Risa did not like where this was going. "You don't want me," she told him. She tried hard to make her voice conversational.

"Is that so? And who are you to determine what I don't want, my dear?" He asked her, his body so close their chests were beginning to press together. Risa tried to reach up her hands to push him away but he seized them and held them at her sides with hardly any effort at all. "I am not a man without desires, my pet."

"Maybe, but don't project them on me," Risa told him harshly.

"Seeing your stubbornness and strength fall will be quite enjoyable," he chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't allow anyone to defy me."

Risa struggled against his grip, but her strength had not returned yet and despite everything, it was still Malik's body, and she'd hate to hurt him for something his evil half did.

"It's no use," he said with another laugh. "This is not a battle you can fight, nor should you even try. Doing so will only make it that much more painful for you."

They were nose to nose now, and Risa was breathing in a mixture of spices that were quite pleasing, yet not altogether overwhelming. Suddenly her brain felt rather fuzzy, like she was on some sort of crazed high. The next action wasn't her own, because she wasn't thinking. Her head had tilted forward until her lips touched his. His lips felt smooth and warm just as she imagined they would. He tasted just as spicy as he smelled.

Her eyelids fluttered from the unusual contact that was being made. She was surprised when she felt his hands leave her wrists and entwine themselves behind her back and in her hair. Her brain was blank as he deepened the kiss and she gasped when she felt something wet and soft try to enter her mouth. A red flag shot up inside her head and getting a hold of herself, she brought her arms up and put her hands on his chest and tried to push him off.

Surprisingly enough, he released her and stepped back and with an evil gleam in his eye, he laughed. It was not a pleasing laugh, but one with the sound of victory. She raged in fury that she had allowed him to have that much power over her.

"My first kiss…. That was my first kiss YOU JERK!" Risa spat in fury.

He chuckled evilly. "That's only one of the many things that I, Marik, will claim from you which you can never get back. I will take everything from you until all you have left is me to turn to. That, I promise."

Risa spat on the ground and rubbed her mouth as if she was trying to scrub away some horrid stain. "Well sorry, but that's one promise you won't be keeping," she muttered angrily. "I won't allow you to take anything else from me."

"I look forward to the challenge," Marik said with a twisted smile. Suddenly his body seized up and he gave a grunt of displeasure. "It would seem that fool is once again trying to intervene... But no matter… Until next time… my pet." Then Malik's body went limp.

Risa stepped forward nervously, unsure if the guy was actually gone. "Malik...are you back now?" she asked.

"Risa?" Malik mumbled raising his head and putting a hand over his eyes. "What just...no, it happened again. Risa, are you okay? What did he do?"

Risa didn't answer him, instead she threw her arms around him in a massive hug.

Malik didn't know what to say but couldn't help but feel happy at her tight embrace. Regretfully, however, he lifted his hands and gently pulled her away. "Risa... I'm sorry but... this changes everything."

"What do you mean, Malik?" Risa asked in worry.

"I mean…. I can no longer trust myself to be around you," Malik said shamefully. "It's far too dangerous. I will not risk your safety."

"Malik…" Risa began, but he shook his head.

"I will contact my sister and Odion and request they return as soon as possible. Odion will be able to control my darker half. Until then, I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Come on Malik, you're stronger than that..." Risa started but Malik cut her off.

"Risa, the only times I've ever been able to keep a hold of myself was when Odion was around, now that he's gone...I'm going to have to distance myself from everyone," Malik explained. "He's already made me kill once...I don't want to know what he'd do to you or Yugi if he ever got the chance."

"But, Malik if you're not around anyone how will you know if he takes over?" Risa persisted. "Around us we can keep an eye on you and help you."

"Please, Risa," Malik implored. "I don't want to face them when I'm like this. Just please promise me you'll stay safe. I'll let you know as soon as I'm well enough to see you again."

Risa tried to protest again, but Malik dashed out the door and was gone. She clenched her fist after he vanished and bit back the shouts of anger she wanted to hurl. It wasn't fair; he shouldn't have to distance himself just because Marik had to come back.

"Why me? Why does he want...me?" she wondered to herself. Then she sighed heavily and decided to catch a bus ride home.

* * *

"Everything is coming along nicely," Bakura chuckled as he sat on the edge of Ryou's bed. "My little light is being drawn to me just like... It will begin tomorrow night." He put a hand to his head as a voice forcefully shouted at him.

_"Leave Kairi and the others alone!"_ Ryou yelled, and attempted to take back possession of his body.

"Are you actually trying to fight against me?" Bakura demanded as he went into his mind's world. Once there, he shoved Ryou into the wall where bonds jumped up and held him fast. "I will not allow you to interfere with my obtaining what belongs to me," he declared roughly. "You will learn just what kind of power I hold over your friend."

"She does not belong to you," Ryou stated through gritted teeth as he tried to break free of his bindings.

"I must say, this is the first time I've seen you fight against me so adamantly," Bakura said amusedly, watching his host struggle. "It makes me curious as to what exactly your motivation stems from."

That doesn't matter," Ryou shouted. "I'm not going to let you hurt Kairi again!"

"Just her?" Bakura asked as he suddenly caught on to his reasons. "I see...you hold feelings for my little light. That's a shame, because she doesn't return your feelings and never will."

"Even if that's true, I'll die before I let you touch her," Ryou said fiercely.

"You just might very well soon get your wish once I'm done," Bakura said dangerously. "But until that day comes, you WILL help me, willingly or not."

"I...refuse..." Ryou gasped determinedly, momentarily regaining control of his body. "I won't...help you...hurt her."

_"Oh well, struggle all you want it won't make a difference,"_ Bakura laughed in his head. _"Either way, your usefulness will run out and by that time, I will have already won."_

Ryou collapsed from the bed onto his knees, screaming, nails digging into his head as if to pry it apart. He tried opening his eyes but his vision kept blurring. From across the room, he saw sitting on his dresser, a picture of him and Kairi laughing together along with the rest of the group. He reached for it, as if it taking hold of it might save him. But it only seemed to drift farther and farther away.

"K-Kairi...he will never...get..." Ryou stuttered as he strived to maintain control. Just as his hand touched the edge of the picture, his strength gave out and he collapsed to the floor.

"I told you before, you have no power to fight me with," Bakura laughed as he got to his feet in Ryou's body. "My light will be mine...forever."

As he said this he picked up the small portrait before flinging it to the ground, smashing the glass frame to pieces.

* * *

CM: Poor Malik! Poor Ryou! Is there no hope for them? Stay tuned and find out! And please review if you can. ^_^ Your reviews help keep this story going.


	6. Closing In

CHAPTER SIX: Closing In

Malik opened the door of the bathroom and flipped on the lights before going over to the sink to splash some cold water on his face. He hadn't slept well the night before, leaving him weary and mentally drained.

_"How long will you continue attempting to resist me?"_ A dark voice echoed in his mind and he looked up to see his evil half reflected in the mirror.

"Go away, and haunt me no longer," Malik ordered it, his hands clutching the edges of the sink tightly.

"Why should I leave?" Marik asked tauntingly. "After all, the last time I was helping you, you had fun trying to become Pharaoh yourself."

"I didn't realize what I was doing then," Malik insisted. "I didn't completely comprehend the consequences." He released the sink and stumbled into the bedroom area of the apartment he rented. "There's no telling what sort of destruction will come if I allow you control again. I will hold out and keep you at bay, at least until Odion and my sister return."

"Do you really think you or they have the power to stop me?" Marik said with a throaty cackle. "It's only a matter of time before I break free. And the first thing I'll do is take away everything you care for and make you suffer! That friend of yours seems to be a good place to start."

"Risa...don't you dare," Malik threatened as he stared at the person in the mirror. "She has nothing to do with..."

The dark eyes stared back at him, "After visiting the site where the tablet appeared, do you really believe she has nothing to do with this event?" Marik demanded. "She's far more a part of this than you can possibly imagine. But more than just her being included, I just want to see the look on your face when you find her clinging to me as her protector...rather than you."

"She will never go to you," Malik said forcefully as he staggered back into his room and fell onto his bed with his eyes shut as he tried to push the evil presence out of his mind. His head felt like it was being boiled in searing hot water, but he wasn't about to give in. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you stay in the darkness you belong in."

_"Fight all you want...it won't make any difference,"_ Marik taunted from deep in the recesses of his mind. _"What is yours will soon become mine."_

"Sister...Odion..." Malik begged silently as he clenched the bed clothes, "Hurry before I do something I'll regret."

* * *

The next day was an uneasy one for everyone. Yugi was shifty because he wasn't sure how to break the news to everyone that Atem and Bakura were back again, Kairi was avoiding all of them, Ryou hadn't shown up for school, and Risa was acting completely deaf and dumb, her mind filled with thoughts of what had happened the day before.

Risa was so out of it, mulling over the events of the past 24 hours that she completely missed it when during lunchtime Joey had tossed up one of his meatballs with a fork and caught it in his mouth.

"Ta-da! I call it 'airfood'," Joey told them all with a laugh.

"Huh, what?" Risa muttered looking up at him. "I'm sorry, Joey...I guess I didn't see it."

"Risa, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Tristan asked across the table for the umpteenth time.

"You know, if you're still worried about Manabu and..." Tea started nervously.

"I'm not worried about Manabu," Risa declared vehemently, slamming her drink cup down on the table and sloshing liquid everywhere. "I just...I need some air." With that she got up from the table and left.

"Risa!" Joey called after her but she didn't turn back. "Man, I don't get it. I know something's bugging her but I can't figure out what."

"A person she knew just died; of course something's bugging her!" Tea said whapping him across the back of his head with the flat of her hand.

"Ouch! Don't hit me," Joey yelped, rubbing his head. "Besides, I honestly don't think that's the case."

"Alright then, Freud, what do you think is the matter?" Tristan asked skeptically.

"Well, it's got to have something to do with Malik and Ishizu," Joey answered, hands spread as if opening the floor for debate. "After all, she was gone for one and a half days with them doing who knows what and now she's back and all depressed."

"I guess...that does stand to reason," Tea grudgingly admitted. "But I'm surprised you noticed it, Joey."

"Well he's not the only one who noticed something weird," Tristan spoke up as Joey was about to reply. "Yesterday Kairi skipped first period, remember?"

"Yeah, so did Yugi," Joey murmured rubbing his still throbbing head.

"Exactly, but when we met up with them again later, she avoided us and Ryou completely and Yugi was lost in his own world," Tristan elaborated.

"And Ryou hasn't even shown up for school today," Tea also noted snapping her fingers in realization.

"Geez, ever since that big ruckus at the museum, weird stuff's been happening," Joey muttered.

"Not like it would be the first time," said Tristan. "Mokuba hasn't come around either, so I wouldn't doubt that Kaiba told him and Kairi to stay away from us."

"That's horrible!" Tea complained.

"You don't think he blames us for them deaths, do you?" Joey asked him angrily.

"He probably does," Tristan stated. "After all, every time something strange happened...especially if it had to do with something Egyptian...we were right in the middle of it."

"That's true," Tea murmured. "But it still doesn't explain why Risa's avoiding us, or why Ryou's not at school, or why Yugi seems to be walking on eggshells."

"Then I say it's time we did some digging around!" Joey exclaimed, slamming a fist in his palm.

"Idiot!" Tristan said shoving Joey's head down on the table. "Don't you think the reason no one is talking is cuz just MAYBE they feel we're better off not knowing?"

"Like I care!" Joey said smacking his hand away. "When a friend's in trouble you gotta help them."

"Look, Joey, I wanna help them as much as you, but we don't even know if they really even need our help," Tristan told him.

"Are you kidding?" Joey demanded turning to face Tristan. "Obviously there's something bad enough to make Risa silent. I'd say that warrants a little help at least."

"I hate to admit it, but Joey might be onto something," Tea murmured. "No matter what problems Risa has been through, not once has she ever fallen silent before."

"Well, I suppose we could invite the girls to the arcade with us," Tristan said after some thought.

"Yeah! And Kaiba be damned!" Joey said already psyched. "Who knows? Maybe a night of fun'll help loosen their lips a bit."

"Nice way of putting it Joey," Tea muttered. "But remember, we're trying to help them out...nothing more."

"Yeah, I know. Alright, let's get moving!" Joey exclaimed as he stood up and started moving toward the exit. "Once school is over, we put Operation Loose Lips in action to get them to open their mouths."

* * *

The day continued on without the two girls or Yugi noticing their friends were becoming more and more worried about them. By the end of the day they had planned exactly what they were going to do and they weren't taking no for an answer. As they left the school to go home, Tristan fell in step with Kairi despite her ignoring him and kept with her until she made it to the parking lot. He could see Kaiba's limo was already there, and Mokuba had already taken the back seat. Kairi started to head to the car when Tristan grabbed her arm and led her away without being spotted by Kaiba...luckily.

"We're all going to the arcade, Kairi, and we want you to come with us," Tristan told her. "It'll be fun and help you get rid of some of that pent up stress."

"Sorry, Tristan," Kairi said apologetically. "But I really don't think I should. I already made a promise to Seto…."

"That you wouldn't come near us, yeah, I figured," Tristan sighed. "Come on, just for a little while? I'll even get you that blue eyes dragon doll you were eyeing the last time we were there. I'm pretty sure they still have it."

Kairi flushed a little in embarrassment that he noticed such a thing. "I still don't think…"

"Come on, don't make me beg," Tristan insisted, secretly thinking that if he didn't succeed Joey would NEVER let him hear the end of it and he might get his head whacked.

"Well..." Kairi deliberated for a few more minutes before reluctantly mumbling an "I guess if it's only for a little while."

"Great, now let's get going. The others are probably already there," Tristan replied with a smile as he led her away from the school. He was right about the others being there when they arrived. Joey it seemed had literally dragged Risa there, and Tea promised Yugi she'd get him something special there if he came.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Joey said.

"But where's Ryou?" Tea asked.

"I tried phoning him but I didn't get an answer," Tristan told them.

Risa glanced at them worriedly at this declaration and could figure out pretty easily why. If Malik was avoiding her and everyone else, Ryou was probably trying to do the same thing. Kairi on the other hand averted her gaze and was secretly glad that Ryou didn't answer, though there was a little bit of disappointment in there as well.

"Well...let's get this party started!" Joey exclaimed leading Risa over to a fighting game.

"Joey, I've told you this a hundred times I'm not in the mood," Risa said angrily as she half heartedly fought back.

"Come on, you're just saying that cuz you're scared I'm gonna cream ya at Dragon Pong!" Joey laughed as he took her arm and began to lead her deeper into the arcade, determined to get her spirits up again.

"Hey, Kairi, you wanna play some DDR?" Tea offered.

Kairi's face lit up almost immediately. "Well, I suppose a game or two couldn't hurt."

Risa watched as she left with Tea, and Tristan turned to Yugi. "So how about we play a game of chance?" he offered. "I will do better than you this time around."

"Well...alright then," Yugi finally agreed before going off with Tristan.

"See, everyone else is willing to have great time, so quit being so stubborn and let's play," Joey said from behind her.

Risa sighed and looked over at the game. "Alright, let's play," she finally conceded. "But it's you who's going to be creamed."

After about an hour or so, the two girls began to smile and laugh again. Kairi especially when Tristan made good on his word and managed to get enough tickets to get the blue eyes white dragon doll that Kairi would not stop huggling.

"You really are a sucker for cute things, aren't you?" Risa asked her as the two were enjoying milkshakes while the boys played pinball and Tea was attempting the crane machine.

"Hehe, I guess so," Kairi admitted sheepishly.

"Man, I feel kind of bad now," Risa murmured. "I didn't realize I was worrying them so much. Now I realize I shouldn't have let it get to me that badly."

"Don't feel too badly, I was kind of doing the same thing," Kairi admitted. "I still feel really bad about breaking my promise to Seto though." When he had called, she had lied and said she was out running some errands for school and that she would be home as soon as she could. She didn't think he bought it though. "I wished Ryou could have come too..."

"Ryou... Kairi, it's happening again...isn't it?" Risa mumbled under her breath. "I mean, that spirit's back."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah…. Now that I've had time to think about it, I think I've met him before. But I had no idea at the time. Ryou was suffering all the time and I had no idea. Tell me…. Is Malik okay at least?"

"Unfortunately no," Risa sighed. "His...darker half is back also. What's worse is that he seems to want to get a hold of me because...Malik likes me." She rubbed her forehead in frustration before looking back at Kairi. "What about you?"

"I don't know…" Kairi said hugging the doll tightly against her. "The spirit inside Ryou said that I have something that belongs to him. But I have no idea what that could be."

"You have something that's his?" Risa asked surprised. "That's strange, if he's an Egyptian spirit like Yugi explained then how could you have something of his?"

Kairi shook her head, indicating that she didn't know. Risa opened her mouth to say something more, but before she could, Joey and Tristan approached their table.

"Hey guys, we were thinking of going to see a movie after this. Whaddya say?" Joey asked the pair.

"And listen to you snacking the whole time?" Risa stated jokingly. "I wouldn't be able to hear the movie."

"Oh, that's cold, Risa," Joey said with a small pout on his face.

While they were talking, the hair on the back of Kairi's neck suddenly stood on end and she had the feeling she was being watched and glanced around. She didn't notice anything odd at first, but through the crowd, she thought she saw a flash of silvery white hair. She dropped the plushie onto the ground, feeling suddenly very ill.

"Um… I just remembered, I have to go," Kairi suddenly said as she stood and ran out of the arcade, pushing past people as she went.

"Whoa… what was her hurry?" Joey asked.

"Tell me about it, she even forgot her doll," Tristan said picking the stuffed animal up. "Well, I guess I'll just have to give it to her next time I see her. Or I suppose I could always give it to Serenity."

"Kairi...why did you...?" Risa tried to call, but she remembered what Kairi had said and thought maybe it'd be a good idea for her to go as well. "Well it's been fun and all, but Auntie's expecting me back soon and I don't want to keep her waiting. So I'll catch you guys later."

"Huh? You're leaving too?" Joey asked slightly put out.

"Yeah, sorry, Joey," Risa replied with a shrug. "But I don't feel like letting my Aunt down. She's more important to me than a movie."

"Well…. If you're sure," Joey said unable to mask his disappointment.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Risa said getting up and leaving as well.

"I don't think I'll ever understand girls," Joey sighed rubbing his head.

"Tell me about it," Tristan said with a nod of agreement. "Girls are so confusing."

"Who's confusing?" Tea asked from behind them, giving them both a scare. "Where'd Risa and Kairi go?" Tea asked as she and Yugi approached them.

"They both went home, said they both had something to do," Tristan answered.

"Almost seemed like something spooked them," Joey added.

"Something scared them?" Looking about the arcade Yugi silently asked his inner spirit, _"Atem...you don't think it was..."_

_"Unfortunately Yugi...I'm sure that's exactly what frightened them,"_ Atem cut in before he could finish, he was worried, but there was also a little anger noticeable on his words.

_"Maybe we should tell the others..."_ Yugi silently suggested. _"I hate keeping something like this from them and they might be able to help. They've dealt with this sort of thing before after all."_

_"It's because they've already dealt with it before that I'm hesitant to tell them," _Atem replied. _"After all, they've already been through a lot and they've seen the end to both of them. It would be much better if they didn't have to deal with them again."_

_"If you say so..."_ Yugi thought, but still felt really guilty all the same.

"You alright there, Yug?" Joey asked him. "You're spacing out."

"Uh, yeah sorry," Yugi said laughing nervously. "I was just trying to figure out whether or not Kairi and Risa are going to be okay."

"Yeah, I'm really worried about that too," Tristan spoke up. Yugi sighed in relief as the conversation slowly drifted away from the two girls and onto the movie that night.

* * *

Kairi stepped off the bus and watched as it continued down the street and into the night. She had been in such a hurry to get home she had taken the bus, but she had been so preoccupied she hadn't even realized where the bus was headed and now she was even farther away from home in a dark and dismal downtown area of Domino City.

_'Maybe if I called Seto…'_ she thought pulling out her cell phone. But to her dismay, the battery was low. Well, there wasn't much she could do at this point except start walking. She didn't get far, however, when she felt drops of rain beginning to fall.

"Darn it," she cursed her bad luck as she pulled the hood of her sweater over her head and tucked her hands inside of her pockets to keep them warm. She needed to find a phone soon. She wasn't dressed for rainy weather and if she was out here long enough, she would be completely soaked to the skin. She picked up her pace to a run.

She jogged through vacant streets splashing through already forming puddles, passing under lamp posts whose lights gave no comfort or warmth from the dark, chilly night. Kairi was familiar with the area though, having explored the city quite thoroughly. She decided to cut through an alleyway. She knew a route which could take her to a place that would have a phone and possibly even a nice hot drink to warm her while she waited. She increased her pace.

From out of a dark doorway came a menacing voice which almost caused her heart to stop, "Why in such a hurry, my little light?"

The voice startled her so badly her left foot hit the ground hard on its side twisting underneath her weight and she fell forward, landing with a cold splash onto the hard concrete.

Her body ached both with the impact of landing and the harsh cold that now saturated nearly her entire body. She looked down at her stinging hands which had helped soften the impact and saw that several layers of skin had been abraded off, leaving them a reddish pink. Thankfully that was as bad as the damage went, since most of her body was covered in clothing. This was exactly why she wore the boys' school uniform.

_'Where did that voice come from?'_ she thought to herself.

There was a flash of lightning followed swiftly by a peal of thunder as the rainfall steadily increased. Kairi paused when the sensation of déjà vu swept through her.

_"Have I…. been here before?"_

Gingerly, she placed her palms onto the concrete and pushed herself partially up off the wet ground as her ankle gave a painful twinge, and to her surprise she spotted a silhouette in the distance.

"Kairi, are you alright?" the form asked in a familiar voice as it drew closer.

Unable to stand, Kairi flipped herself over into a sitting position, soaking her backside. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"It's me, Ryou. I'm here to help you," the form answered, stepping under the feeble light of one of the few streetlights around and then came closer until she could see his face.

Instead of warm comfort, Kairi felt a cold fear surge through her that rivaled the very icy water which was even now soaking through her clothes. Instinct told her this was not her friend.

"Get away from me," she tried to shout but her voice cracked in mid sentence.

There was still time. If she ran now, she might be able to escape. But her ankle was hurting so badly and just putting the slightest pressure on it made her eyes water in pain.

"You don't want my help?" Ryou's kind voice asked, tinged with hurt. "I'm not here to hurt you," he promised taking a couple steps closer. Suddenly, even in the dark, she could see his eyes change from warm and friendly to dark and cold. A new voice, angry and evil now spoke, "I'm only here to take back what belongs to me."

A sickening weight seemed to settle itself in the deepest reaches of her abdomen as a flash of lightning illuminated the cruel face that had taunted her in the school library.

"The Spirit of the Millenium Ring," Kairi whispered in horror.

* * *

"Risa, I'm headed out to the store!" a voiced called from the front door.

"Okay, Auntie. I'll make sure to keep the door locked and have a string of garlic hanging from the doorway," Risa shouted back from the living room. She was still uptight about everything that was going on, but didn't let on about it to her aunt.

"I'll be back in an hour or so," her aunt told her before heading out the door. "Oh, and don't forget to replace the spirit talisman tied to the door handle."

"Sure thing, Auntie," Risa sighed before her aunt closed the door. "Geeze, I swear sometimes she asks me these weird things just to see if I'll do them." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Well I don't really have to do anything tonight. There really aren't very many people who come around here," she thought to herself going back to her movie.

Risa sat there for several minutes in the darkened room feeling completely relaxed for the first time in a week. She heard it start to rain and was grateful that she was inside. She didn't dislike the rain, just being in it.

A soft knock on the door caused her to jump and she stood up from the couch. Stepping over to the door, she pressed her cheek to the cold wood.

"Who is it?" she softly called.

From outside came an equally soft, yet urgent reply, "Risa? It's me, Malik."

"Malik?!" She quickly removed the talisman and unlocked the door, then nervously took a step back. "I thought you said it'd be too dangerous to come anywhere near me, so what are you doing here?"

"Odion and sister came back," Malik answered joyfully. "He's sealed away now and won't be coming back any time soon."

"Really?" Risa asked anxiously and hopefully.

"Really, now could you please open the door, I really want to tell you what they discovered."

Risa nervously chewed on her lip, but her desire to see and speak with Malik again won out. Slowly she opened the ornament free door and let him in. Her green eyes met with his amethyst eyes for a moment before his arms wrapped around her, his clothes slightly damp from the rain.

"Thank goodness you're safe. You have no idea how concerned I was."

"Concerned? What for?" Risa asked curiously, pulling back from him.

"Ah, yes, well it's not just me that was having problems," Malik explained to her. "Apparently that fiend Bakura is back as well. There's no telling what scheme he's concocting at this very moment."

* * *

The spirit laughed; it wasn't the sweet, gentle laugh Kairi was used to hearing from those lips, but a derisive, almost maniacal one filled with amusement.

"So, _he's_ told you the story. Though I can't say it will do you any good. You may call me Bakura." He began making his way towards her in steady strides, taking his time.

Kairi wanted to run, to scramble away, anything just to keep the distance between them, but she was frozen in place. It felt as if his gaze weighed down on her, preventing her from escape. He halted about a foot away from her, staring down at her with eyes of brown steel.

With her clothes now thoroughly soaked, Kairi could only focus her eyes on him as he hovered above her, and through the blackness that was the night, she could FEEL him there; his presence was unmistakable.

"How long do you plan to sit there?" He asked her, and she could just make out the sly curve of his lips.

Kairi didn't answer. She tore her gaze away from him, hoping that by some sliver of chance, he would go away if she ignored him. She couldn't have been more wrong.

The spirit leaned over and slowly reached for her arms. "Stay away!" Kairi shouted with a sudden rush of fear equivalent to a cornered animal, pushing herself backwards as much as she could on her injured ankle.

The spirit smiled and Kairi didn't know which had happened faster; the lightning lancing through the shadowed sky or the single movement of him latching his hands around her arms, hauling her up off the ground and crushing her against the wall. Kairi felt the wind knocked out of her as a dull pain shot all throughout her back while the thunder roared against her ears. She was so disoriented, that she would have collapsed back onto the ground if not for his stony grip on her.

Kairi struggled to regain her lost breath and she slowly opened her eyes to see the eyes of her captor staring back at her, his face not a breath away. Kairi felt as if those dark orbs were staring into the very depths of her soul.

"You cannot, and will not escape from me," he hissed, his hot breath on her cheek. His presence washed over her in a cold tide, sending a chill down her spine. "You, my light, shall always return to me."

"Not again…" Kairi thought, as her teeth chattered both from the cold and the apprehension she was beginning to feel.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" He asked in mock hurt. "I thought you had enjoyed our last encounter.

Kairi, in all her life, had never been so terrified. She wanted to open her mouth and scream for help, but her own terror had welded her throat shut, rendering her speechless. _"This has to be a dream,"_ she thought over and over. _"Please, just let me wake up."_

"I was unable to conclude what I started during our last encounter," he murmured softly, his vanilla honey breath tingling her nose. "But this time, there is no one to interfere."

* * *

"Yugi, I think I hear the phone, could you get that?" Yugi's grandfather asked him.

"Sure thing, grandpa," Yugi said going to answer the call. Yugi had decided to skip out on the movie, wanting to stick close to his grandfather just in case. When he picked up the phone he was surprised to hear who was on the other line.

"Good evening, Pharaoh," Ishizu greeted him, Odion standing right behind her.

"Hello," Yugi said in confusion. "Um, can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you knew where my brother was," Ishizu confided. "He called us yesterday in a terrible panic and I fear for his safety."

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen him," Yugi admitted apologetically.

"I see," Ishizu replied softly. "Yugi, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind putting the Pharaoh on, this is very important and I must speak to him directly."

"How do you know about him?" Yugi asked in surprise.

"I shall explain the details later," Ishizu told him. "However, it is important that I speak with him as of this moment."

"Uh, okay," Yugi agreed before switching over to Atem.

"What is it Ishizu? What did you find?" Atem asked calmly.

"My pharaoh, I fear that your friends are in grave danger," Ishizu said seriously. "It would be my guess that Risa and her friend Kairi are the ones responsible for releasing you."

"Not just me, but the other two spirits as well," Atem said darkly.

"So I was right, Marik and Bakura have both returned," Ishizu murmured nervously. "You need to find them both right away. I fear that we may already be too late to do anything. If my brother is not home...then there's only one place I can think of that he might be."

"Risa...he went after her," Atem murmured. He could hear Ishizu on the other end give a shiver.

"I'll go check on Risa. In the meantime, Ishizu, I need you to make sure that Kairi is alright," Atem told her seriously. "She was supposed to have gone home but I want you to make sure. Can you do that?"

"I will...and thank you for your help Pharaoh," Ishizu murmured. She hung up moments later and Atem followed suit.

"Yugi...it looks like I've been moving much too cautiously," he muttered darkly.

_"Do you think they'll be alright?"_ Yugi asked worriedly.

"Unfortunately, Yugi, no...I don't."

* * *

CM: This is bad. What will become of them? Will Yugi and the Pharoah make it on time? Stay tuned to find out! And Happy holidays to you all!


	7. Waking Nightmare

CHAPTER SEVEN: Waking Nightmare

"Thank goodness you're safe. You have no idea how concerned I was."

"Concerned? What for?" Risa asked curiously, pulling back from him.

"Ah, yes, well it's not just me that was having problems," Malik explained to her. "Apparently that fiend Bakura is back as well. There's no telling what scheme he's concocting at this very moment."

"Oh, that," Risa murmured softly at Malik's declaration. "Well...if Bakura's doing something like that, it probably has to do with Kairi. She told her she met him earlier." She took a couple steps away from him and closed the door behind him. "Why don't you take a seat? You look like you're pretty tired."

"Yeah, kind of. As soon as sister gave me the news I ran over here to pass it on to you," Malik told her sitting down on the couch.

"Really? Say..." Risa began as she twirled the bracelet about her wrist absent mindedly, "does it have anything to do with my bracelet?"

"As a matter of fact, it does," Malik said with a small nod. "Have you ever heard of an eighth millennium item?"

"No, I thought there were only seven," Risa said, settling down next to him.

"There were supposed to be only seven," Malik continued. "But they made an eighth one, which I suppose you could call the opposing face of the seven millennium items."

"I don't get it," Risa admitted.

Malik smiled and took hold of her hand as he gently extended her arm to look at the bracelet in more detail. "You see, when the millennium items were forged to control the powers of darkness, another item was made to control another power. Can you guess what that power might be?"

"The only thing I can think of would be light, but...I don't see how that..." Risa started.

"Exactly, light. You understand that there is opposition in all things, well that includes this situation," Malik explained. "Because there are seven items of the dark, there stand to reason that there would be seven items of light."

"Well, yeah that makes sense, but that doesn't explain..."

"Did you know 5,000 years ago, the pharaoh had two sisters?" Malik continued on, not letting her finish. "One was chosen as a vessel."

"A vessel?" Risa asked, now completely enthralled. "For what?"

"A vessel to carry the embodiment of Ra's light," Malik answered with a strange smile. "The vessel would contain the very essence of Ra to be brought back at the appointed time."

* * *

Bakura drew closer to Kairi so that his cold body pressed against hers, pinning her to the wall as he forced her hands to either side of her head, his fingers latching themselves securely around both wrists, not strong enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her in place..

Kairi closed her eyes as she felt the frigid cold of his hands on her wrists began to slowly spread through her like icy venom, causing her entire body to wrack with shivers.

"What's wrong, love? You look rather pale…like you've seen a ghost," Bakura told her mockingly. She glanced up at him still feeling her disorientation and saw to her horror a sort of dark cloud that began wrapping its way around the pair like a snake around its prey.

"What do you want from me?" Kairi muttered as the snakelike cloud continued to circle them.

"I want nothing more or less…." He paused as he came even closer to her face before finishing his thought, "…than your light," Bakura answered as his lips split into an evil grin.

"I don't understand," Kairi whimpered, feeling helpless and scared as she lowered her face downward. As she did so, she saw the millennium ring shining against his torso.

"Then allow me to show you," he said before cutting off every thought of escape as he wrapped her in his powerful grip. Then to her amazement, she felt her mind go blank, as if he were wiping her mind clear. He held her in that one position and then he pressed his lips to hers. Kneading her mouth with his own, exploring every inch of it.

The poor high school girl didn't know what was happening. It was as if his very existence was wrapping itself around her, smothering her. She felt lightheaded and dizzy. His tongue smoothly slid its way into her mouth, and Kairi's gasp was swallowed up by his teasing lips. The taste of him was intoxicating and she shuddered in, what she hoped was, terror and revulsion at the unwelcomed kiss. She heard a moan and realized that it was HERS. What's more, she numbly realized that her own lips and appendage began responding to his, encouraging him. What was going on? She suddenly realized she shouldn't be kissing him back. She shouldn't even want him touching her!

Finally, his lips parted from hers, though they didn't stray too far, giving them possibly an inch or so of distance. Kairi breathed in the cold night air that seemed to send icy shards into her very lungs, her chest rising and falling in gasps.

Their bodies were pressed snugly together so Kairi felt his chest vibrate a little as he gave a throaty chuckle. "You seem to respond rather well to this."

Kairi began to sob as she found herself unable to fight back. "Please…stop."

"Why should I stop when you seem to enjoy it so much?" Bakura whispered provocatively.

Kairi shuddered as his face glided towards her and brushed against her cheek. Then she felt his breath on her neck as he continued to move his face from her cheek down to her shoulder.

"Ryou…" Kairi managed to force out. She had to fight to bring her thoughts back from the depths of her mind where they had been forced to go. If she couldn't get away from this specter, then perhaps maybe she could at least try to help her possessed friend. "Please… Ryou, I know you're hurting right now. Yugi told me everything. I'm sorry I never understood it before, but you have to fight him. I know you're stronger than this. Don't let him do this to you. Don't….."

She gasped when he bit down onto her neck, not hard but just enough to empty her mind once more. He chuckled again when he felt her shiver beneath his touch and continued to move across her shoulder, up her neck again, and find his way back to her mouth.

After a moment of holding her mouth with his own, he pulled back and whispered into her ear, "There is nothing that can stop it now. You are mine." He started to chew on her ear when he was finished and continued to move slowly up and down her neck and shoulders, pausing at her mouth when he passed it.

Kairi felt like she was hyperventilating as her breath came and went in sharp gasps. "Bakura…" She breathed.

"Yes?" he answered, and his lips were close enough that she could feel their smirk.

Kairi wasn't sure what she had been about to say. Surely it was something to the affect of, 'go away' or 'stop it'. But it was no use. She couldn't fight him, in action or in words, and wherever Ryou was, he was too far gone to respond to her pleas. This monster was delighting in her helplessness against the power which he held over her. As much as she hated what he was doing to her, her body screamed for it.

Suddenly, Kairi tasted salt and she realized that she was crying, frustrated at her own weakness.

After what felt like ages, Bakura finally pulled back just enough to where she could still smell him, and feel his breath, but he was no longer touching her with his mouth. "Now...give it to me," he breathed, deliberately allowing his breath to fall on her cheeks.

"G-give what...to you?" Kairi asked in a mumbled voice.

"Give me your light," Bakura ordered, though it sounded more like a gentle suggestion.

* * *

"Ra's light?" Risa asked in disbelief.

"Can you just imagine the absolute power that human vessel carried within herself? Carrying the power of Ra itself beneath her very flesh?"

"The power of Ra..." Risa murmured in awe. "The pharaoh who had these sisters...was that Atem?"

"Yes, and the three of them were very close," Malik explained. "Now, the princess who was endowed with the light of Ra was given a special item as a possible way or releasing it."

"A special item...you mean this bracelet," Risa cut in. "That's right...my dad found this bracelet in a tomb of an empress with no name. Could she have been..."

"Not quite," Malik replied with a shake of his head. "You see, the vessel carrying Ra's light ended up leaving her kingdom, and she left the key to releasing Ra's power with the one person she could trust more than anyone."

"Her sister?" Risa guessed.

Malik nodded. "Precisely. So you see... there are two separate pieces to the puzzle."

"The key to the light...and light itself," Risa murmured. "I have the key...ah...does that mean Bakura is trying to release Ra's light? But if that's true, then… oh no… Kairi must be the...the carrier of his light!"

"Yes..." Malik affirmed in a low voice. "And as of right now, he's probably awakening the power inside of her in order to do something miraculous."

"Something miraculous...like what?" Risa asked worriedly. "What could he possibly gain by awakening that light?" She was watching him intently now, sitting on the couch next to him. "What could his aim be?

Malik smiled, shaking his head. "Forgive me, but..." she reached up to touch Risa's cheek and his fingers were burning to the touch. "I don't want to spoil the surprise."

"Spoil the surprise? What are you talking about Malik?" Risa demanded suddenly feeling very on edge. His touch was similar to how he felt when his darker half had come out to talk.

"Well, now it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it," Malik answered with a grin.

"Malik...you're acting kind of..." Risa started, but the look in his eye made her jump off the couch and retreat several steps back. "No...you're Marik. Get out...and leave Malik alone."

"As you wish," Marik chuckled and Malik's body dropped to the floor like a puppet who's strings had just been cut and the spirit's translucent form began to walk toward her in a menacing fashion as his evil chuckle sounded through the night. Feeling very threatened Risa rushed through her Aunt's small house to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. As she shut her door she felt her heart pounding quickly in her chest and her breath was coming in gasps. Then when she felt she had left him outside she slowly turned around only to press herself against the door in fright as the figure was standing right behind her.

"How… how did you…?" Risa asked, her eyes wide with surprise and fear.

"Foolish pet, you cannot keep me out," Marik chuckled. "I have already integrated myself into the deepest crevices of your mind during our last encounter."

"Stay away from me," Risa ordered, her voice cracking in fear despite all her efforts. "I don't want you anywhere near me, or Malik. Get out!"

Marik chuckled as he took several steps toward her. "Do you honestly think that I'll simply let you go after explaining all of that?"

"Why did you then? You're working with him aren't you? So why tell me all of this?" Risa demanded stalling for time as the hand behind her tried to unlock the door. She planned to run for Yugi's or Joey's or any of her friends...if it meant he wouldn't follow.

"For many reasons," Marik replied with a smirk. "You are of great interest to me, and I know just how devastated my weaker half would be if he heard of your predicament."

"How do I interest you?" Risa demanded shoving her fear back as far as she could…though her voice cracked when she spoke, her trembling fingers fumbling with the lock.

"Have you still not guessed? Well, no matter. You'll soon learn the answers to your life altering questions," Marik answered. "Just hope that your dear Aunt does not return before my business here is finished."

* * *

"Give me what I desire," the spirit demanded softly.

What did he mean? Kairi wondered dazedly. She tried to speak but found that she could only think desperately that the spirit could take whatever he wanted and leave if it would end the torture session. She thought that she saw some weird light filling the dark space that was them, but she couldn't determine where it was coming from. Added to it was the light pulsing of the millennium ring he wore around his own neck, almost as if it was welcoming the presence of the first.

She felt one of his icy hands deftly unbutton the shirt of her uniform so that her collarbone was exposed. His hand settled itself there, chilling her to the core. Then his whispered the most enticing words that Kairi had ever heard in all her young life.

"Make me complete."

A single thought drifted to Kairi's mind at these words. "Alright, just take it, and leave me alone."

As soon as it did, Kairi let out a scream as she felt pain beyond imagination coming from the point where his hand had been and spreading right through her very being. She felt as if he had plunged his hand into her chest and was now ripping her heart out. Her vision blurred and only a pane of white was visible. Not only that, but the shadows that had been surrounding them had finally sprung and were now rushing past Bakura and flying into her with no mercy to be had. She yelled, she cried, she thrashed about, but nothing eased her agony. There was a sense of warmth in the light and she tried to embrace it. But little by little, the light started to vanish being replaced by the dark shadows that seemed to swallow the warmth and make her colder than she had ever been in her life. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it had stopped, and her body went limp once again.

When her eyes cleared, she found Bakura still standing with his hand on her chest and a triumphant smirk on his face. But he seemed different than he had before, slightly see through, but growing in clearness. A low moan made her look around for someone to help her and her darting eyes found a shape lying on the ground just behind her captor. A streak of lightning shot across the sky illuminating the face of the fallen stranger and she cried out when she realized who it was.

"Thank you very much for your cooperation," the spirit chuckled, jubilation dancing in those dark orbs.

Kairi felt her mind spin as it attempted to comprehend what just happened. She wanted to reach out to the person on the ground, but her entire body felt numb and heavy. Her mind, her body, her spirit…. It was all so weak. A fog began to envelope her vision as she slid down the concrete wall, tumbling with a splash onto the wet concrete.

_'So weak…'_ Kairi thought, as each shuddering breath she drew seemed to get heavier and more strenuous. _'Am I going to die?'_

"Not tonight, my little light," the spirit's voice crooned, though instead of coming from above her like it should have, it sounded more as if it was inside her own head, abrasive and yet so sickeningly melodious. "I still need you alive."

Through the fog she could feel something touch her arm and lift her off the wet ground. "When the time comes, you will return to me." The voice sounded inside her head once more, and she felt a weight suddenly pull at the back of her neck. "Until next time," the voice continued.

It started to say more, but nothing else registered as she felt herself falling into a bottomless void, his laughter ringing in her ears.

* * *

"I-I've almost got it..." Risa thought as she continued to fumble with the lock. "Just a little more and it'll be open." Her breath was coming in quick gasps as she could actually feel him close to her and could even smell his breath. She looked up at him defiantly and almost shouted in surprise when she saw that his body was slowly solidifying. "Wh-what are you?" she demanded in fear as her fingers stumbled once more, though the lock was only seconds away from being opened.

Marik seized Risa's arm stopping her from her task."Trying for an escape route, my pet?" he asked through his laughter. "I thought I just explained…there is no escape from me…I am within your very being."

"Stay away from me," Risa hissed, trying to pull her arm out of his fiery grasp.

"You didn't seem to mind my presence so much the other day, when I spoke to you through my other half," as he said this, his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"B-back then I-I didn't understand w-what was going on," Risa stuttered feeling herself go red as she remembered her conversation with Malik just a day or two before. "I-I was too surprised to understand my own feelings."

Marik began to chuckle, until his chuckle slowly grew into outright maniacal laughter that sent tremors through her entire being. "My dear," he said, as his voice became a low rumble. "No one can keep me from you. Not you or anyone else. Once I am complete, you shall understand that nothing can save you."

"What do you mean?" Risa demanded as she jerked her arm, trying to pull it lose. "What is the light going to do for you?" Marik just laughed as he pulled her from the door and threw her into the room. Risa stumbled over a book she had lying on the floor and fell to the ground. She pushed herself up onto her knees and turned to the door, but Marik wasn't there.

"I'm impressed the fool actually managed to do it," he laughed from behind her. She spun around and looked up to see him standing in front of the window, though she could no longer see it through him.

"He's...got a body," she thought in horror. In fear, she quickly jumped to her feet and dashed back to the door hoping to have enough time to escape.

She hadn't managed two steps before his hand clamped around her forearm. She let out a strangle cry as his nails dug into her skin like white hot knives. "I would suggest that you don't try to run from me, sweet pet, or I might just have to teach you a lesson in obedience."

Risa clamped her mouth shut and fought back the pain of his nails digging in before turning to face him and put one of her hands into a fist. Fighting desperately for all the courage and strength she could muster, Risa pulled back her fist and threw it hard toward his face. "I should be able to hit him if he can grab me," she thought determinedly.

She watched as her hand flew towards Marik's smirking face before his other hand came out of nowhere to stop it. "What the-?" she gaped at him before he easily tossed her onto the floor. She landed painfully holding onto her arm; welts were already starting the rise up from where he had brutally grabbed her.

"It would seem this little pet needs to be broken," his sinister voice said from behind.

Risa swiveled around once more, biting back a scream when she was once more face-to-face with her aggressor.

"Now my pet, the real training can begin."

* * *

While at the same time only a few hundred feet away, Yugi was sprinting through the rain towards Risa's house when suddenly his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. "What's happening?" he cried out loud as he felt Atem's presence in his mind slowly being pulled out.

There was no reply, but the next thing he knew, someone was helping him to his feet. "Yugi, are you alright?" the person asked.

Yugi looked up and to his surprise, Atem was standing there looking like an older version of him. "Atem...you have a body?!" Yugi exclaimed in shock.

"Yes...this can mean only one thing," Atem murmured gravely. "We are already too late."

* * *

By this time Risa was scooting backwards towards the window; thinking of jumping through it if only to get away from this monster of a man. She only managed to cover a few feet, however, before Marik was directly above her and grabbed her arm jerking her away from her only reprieve.

"Leaving already? Our training has yet to begin," Marik chuckled as he easily dragged her to the center of the room.

Risa opened her mouth to scream for help but all it took was two of Marik's fingers on her lips to silence her. "I wouldn't do that, my pet. We don't want to make this any more painful than it needs to be, now do we?"

Risa stared into those cold eyes as her entire body shook and her fear grew to such heights that she could no longer fight back. "How can I fight him?" she asked herself. "I can't even speak to him without my voice cracking much less jerk away from him."

"You are beginning to see the hold that I have on you," Marik told her smiling. "Unfortunately you haven't quite grasped the entirety of my power."

Risa cringed as she felt his hand reached up and his perfectly finger nails threaded themselves through her short red hair. She shuddered and jerked her head upon the contact. This earned her punishment as his grip tightened around her hair and he jerked her head backwards. She clenched her teeth but a muffle of a cry still managed to escape much to her despair and much to Marik's pleasure.

"In time, you will learn not to resist me," Marik said, his mouth hovering just inches from her fully exposed throat.

Risa closed her eyes fighting back the tears of pain as his hand tugged at her hair and her neck was stretched backwards. She got a burst of hope when suddenly there was the sound of something pounding on the door. "Risa, Risa! Open the door!" It was Malik, somehow he'd woken up and came to help her.

"Mal…" she started to shout back, but Marik stopped it by placing his fingers over them as a warning. Then, despite the pounding they still heard, she felt his breath on her neck, her instincts taking over as she allowed her left arm to shoot up and push his head away earning herself another jerk to her already sore scalp.

It was such a powerful tug that she felt her back hit the floor and now he loomed over her, gazing at her as a predator gazes at its newly caught prey. The impact of the fall had shaken loose the tears that were now streaming down her face as he hovered over her, taunting her in her helpless, incapacitated state, his smile carrying silent promises of unwanted desire. As Risa stared into the lavender seas, she couldn't help but feel a strange fluttering inside her gut. Not fear, or revulsion, but something else. Something she did NOT want to be there.

"Please don't," she pleaded, casting away what little pride she had left. At her plea the pounding increased…it sounded as if he was trying to break down the door. Which he probably was.

"Don't what, my dear? Oh, I couldn't possible agree with your request. After all, you've still not yet learned your lesson," he said caressing her cheek with his free hand.

"I... I... please! Marik, stop! Don't- mmph!"

She was cut off as his lips smothered hers in a lustful, bruising kiss. Her emerald eyes widened in fear and shock as she saw his amethyst ones flash briefly with sadistic content. Risa began to struggle weakly underneath him, but this only seemed to encourage him. He bit down roughly on her lower lip to the point where she tasted iron in her mouth. His tongue seemed to take a life of its own as it ran itself over the wounded area, licking up the blood as a cat would milk. By the time he finally pulled away, Risa was struggling for breath, both from her terror and from the intense lip lock.

"However long it takes, I WILL break you, my pet," Marik promised, lowering his face to lightly nuzzle her neck and Risa let out a small whimper. "You will belong to me, one way, or another. Your emotions are my toys, your body my playground, and your blood… my sweet, crimson wine."

She screamed as, without warning, he began biting at her neck with just under the pressure to break the skin. Just then, the door burst open and Risa looked to the opening and felt hope return to her heart as she spotted Yugi Motto…or what looked like him…and Malik standing there glaring at Marik.

"That's enough Marik…let her go," the Yugi look alike declared in a deep baritone.

"Well…so the Pharoh did decide to grace us with his presence…though you seem to have failed to stop us," Marik chuckled as he looked over at the door. "And my weaker half seems to have managed to wake himself up." He turned back to Risa who was trembling on the floor. "It looks like I'll have to finish this later, my pet," he told her, stroking her face in such a gentle, or perhaps simply merciful, fashion that it took her off guard.

She didn't have time to react to this as Marik released her and he was gone from her vision with a single turn of his cape. Malik tried to catch him, but he vanished. Turning back toward the her, he placed his arms around her and held her tightly as she shivered. She could do nothing but lay there in his warm arms as her neck burned and throbbed where Marik had left his mark on her.

* * *

The next thing Kairi had remembered after fainting in that alleyway was waking up in her bed at the Kaiba mansion; her clothes had been crusty with an air-dried feeling, along with her hair and skin. She struggled to remember clearly the events of that night, but her mind was fuzzy and it was almost a complete blur.

She remembered getting off the bus, walking down an alleyway, and then… then HE had shown up, and there had been that terrible pain; the pain of having her soul torn open and polluted by his dark essence. It was a terrible feeling that her heart would never forget. She expected her body to be aching after such an experience, but other than having an odd weight –almost as if an anchor had sunk itself inside her stomach- she felt perfectly normal. At least…. Until she soon discovered something she didn't want to.

"It's about time you woke up," a rather cold voice muttered in annoyance.

Kairi looked up to see Seto Kaiba standing next to her bed, and down at the foot, Mokuba had fallen asleep on his chair with his head on her bed.

"Where did you disappear last night?" Kaiba demanded.

She tried to remember the night before, but her mind was in such a state that nothing could penetrate the darkness that shrouded it.

"You went out with Yugi and his friends didn't you?" he accused.

She ran a hand over her neck trying to remember, but her fingers traced over something small, wiry, and a little heavy.

"I warned you..." Kaiba started once more but came to an abrupt halt when Kairi flung her arms around him and cried tears of relief into his finely pressed work suit.

"I'm so sorry," Kairi apologized. "I got on the bus to go home but I didn't realize i took the wrong one. And I tried calling but the phone battery died, and then it started raining and..." she broke off before she got too far. "I'm really sorry."

Normally Kairi would normally never dare touch Seto like this, because she knew it made him feel uncomfortable. But after a nightmare like that, Kairi needed to know that human warmth still existed. That not everyone had the touch of dried ice.

Kaiba opened his mouth to rebuke her, but the tears flowing down her face stopped him. "Now you know not to do that again," he muttered as he awkwardly patted her on the back. "I'm going to call the school. You're not going back there starting now."

"Wh-what?" Kairi stuttered, looking up at him.

"I already gave you a warning, but you didn't listen," Kaiba stated firmly, his voice carrying every indication that he wasn't backing down this time. "If you still insist on continuing through the semester, you'll have to get someone to bring your homework here. You can go to school on exam days, but that's it. And from now on whenever you go out, you'll have two body guards trailing you to make sure you don't get LOST again."

Kairi lowered her head. She thought he was being completely unfair, but she didn't feel like arguing with him. "Okay," she accepted quietly.

"Good, now you'd better apologize to Mokuba, he's been up ever since we found you outside waiting for you to wake up," he said as he headed for the door. "He's been worried about you since the fiasco at your school" He left without another word, but Kairi was sure there was an underlying statement of, "So have I."

Kairi sighed, She knew Seto had every reason to be angry with her, and she could hardly blame him for grounding her. She woke up Mokuba who, like Seto said, had been worried sick. After a small (what could be called brotherly sisterly) exchange Mokuba left Kairi alone so that she could get a shower. But she had her own reasons for making this request. Kairi warily went into the bathroom and, with trembling fingers, unbuttoned her school uniform.

When she opened up her jacket, a strangled cry of alarm shook itself from within her vocal cords. There, hanging from her neck, was the millennium ring, glinting unnaturally without any help from the fluorescent bathroom lighting. At first, Kairi could only stare, mesmerized. As she continued to stare, memories of the night before came back fresh in her mind, brief but vivid flashes of her endured torture. With speed she never knew, she flew back into her bedroom, tearing off the necklace and tossing it into the bottom drawer of her dresser before slamming it shut and locking it, as if to lock away the reminder of her tormentor.

She sat down on the floor with her hands to her face as the heavy truth sank in. Everything that she had seen, felt, and experienced from the night before was no dream. It was a nightmare that became reality.

* * *

CM: So now the two have accomplished what they had aimed for. But what now? Will the two girls finally be free of this dark haunting? And what is Atem to do? Stay tuned to find out! And happy new year to you all!


	8. Whispers in the Dark

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Whispers in the Dark**

As much as Kairi wanted it to, the necklace did not stay locked up. Rather it later reappeared beneath her clothes again. She had looked into the drawer, which was still locked, and found it empty, as if the necklace had never been placed inside. Several times Kairi had attempted to discard the necklace, and time and time again, it would always return to her. Eventually she gave up and resigned to hiding it from everyone. But she could always feel it, pressed up against her flesh, a burning cold that reminded her of her attacker's touch.

Kairi tried to make sense of it, all of it; what Bakura had done to her, and why his necklace was now on her. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand what had happened or what the spirit's intentions had been.

Especially since he had not once appeared again since her encounter with him. Despite this, she could not free herself of him. No matter where she went, or what she did, she could hear his voice whispering in her ears. She could not rid herself of the memory of his chilling fingers and lips on her skin that made her heart race painfully. She felt contaminated in a way that she could not rid herself of, no matter how hard she tried to wash the feeling away, infected with a disease that held no remedy, possessed by a specter that haunted ever dark corner of her being.

And then there were the nightmares where she was running from something, but not knowing what, only knowing that if she was to stop…..

Kairi didn't dare tell Mokuba, Seto, or her friends about any of this. The only thing she could do was convince herself that everything she was feeling was just a result of the trauma and that over time, she would forget all of it and everything would go back to normal; that was all she could hope for.

"Kairi...are you okay?" Mokuba asked as he had been trying to get her attention for a while now. "You're spacing out now. You're not getting sick are you?"

"Heh, yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering a dream I had," Kairi said, waving his worries out the window. "I take it you're going to be helping Seto today, huh?" Kairi used to work with Seto too, as a part time job, until he discovered who her father was. Kairi wouldn't have minded working at Seto's company again, just for something to do. But he refused to give her a job there, worried that someone would just use her to get in deep with him like her foster father had.

"Yeah, brother's got me working on a special project again," Mokuba replied happily. "And trust me you're going to love the finished product." He jumped off her bed and gave her another hug before heading for the door. "Oh, and Risa is at the gate. She wants to take you out shopping this morning but Seto isn't around right now so I told her it was okay. I figured that as long as THEY were keeping an eye on you, Seto wouldn't mind."

This brightened Kairi's day a little. "Thanks, Moki," she said happily as she watched him leave. Once he was gone she quickly got dressed, ignoring the trinket around her neck, before stepping out of her room where two body guards who looked like drop out castings of Men in Black were waiting. "So it's Thomas and Yorkshire today, huh?" Kairi asked them with an attempt to be friendly.

They nodded silently and waited for her to get on her way. She sighed but didn't order them to leave. Instead she started for the elevator and front door, allowing the two to follow her.

* * *

Down by the front door, Risa stood against the gated wall waiting for Kairi to come down with a t-shirt, some shorts, and a scarf. While she waited, her thoughts drifted over the evening where she had fully encountered Marik in all his wrath, as well as the events that occurred over the couple of weeks since.

She didn't completely understand everything that Marik had told her, or what Atem and Malik had tried to explain after words. All she knew was that now, she couldn't face any of her friends. Risa continued going to school despite everything, but no longer sat with them at lunch and tried very hard to avoid running into any of them in the hallway...especially Yugi. She'd even taken to wearing some of her aunts evil wards, just as a kind of protection against any more attacks, but they did nothing to help with her nightly nightmares. She'd constantly wake up from dreams of her being back in Egypt, though they all ended with Marik appearing and her doing nothing to stop him. She couldn't tell what scared her most, the fact that she was dreaming about him, or the fact that in her dreams she accepted him.

And to make matters worse, the mark he'd left that night would not disappear. No matter how many times she washed it, rubbed it, put cream on it, or anything else, it would not go away. Not even time was enough to make it fade. She'd never received such an item before, but she did understand that they never last for this long. So she took to wearing a scarf until school was over and she could get herself a turtle neck, just to hide it...though she didn't expect it to hide anything from her friends, which was another reason she decided to avoid them...their questions.

She jumped at the noise of the gates opening with a metallic squeak and a black car drove up to her, stopping when the back seat window was directly of front of her. The one way tinted window rolled down, revealing her friend's face only for a moment before she was suddenly tackled. Yes, Kairi actually leapt through the window so that half of her body was still in the limo while the other half clung to her friend.

"Thanks for coming. You're a life saver!" she exclaimed happily.

"Ack...no...problem," Risa gasped. "Now...could you let...go?" Kairi did so and Risa took a moment to get her breath back. "So...where would you like to go?" she asked once she could talk normally again.

"Let's go downtown for some window shopping," Kairi said before grabbing her friend and pulling her through the window of the limo.

"Has being cooped up in that mansion driven you insane?" Risa demanded as she tumbled into the backseat of the car. "And I thought you disliked shopping."

"Yeah, but it's boring going out alone, and no offense to these guys but they're not the greatest company," Kairi explained motioning to the two guys in the front seat. "They shoo off any unknown person who comes near me."

"Oh brother, this ought to be interesting," Risa mumbled. "Just don't go pulling me through any small openings anymore. That kind of hurt."

"Sorry," Kairi apologized as the limo got rolling.

They traveled to downtown Domino City where they walked around looking at the fun shops. They especially enjoyed going to a store called 'Off the Wall' where they had really odd outfits, wigs, and costumes.

"This is great," Kairi told Risa while sporting a large green bowler hat. "Once exams are over and summer break starts, we can do this more often."

"Yeah, I have to admit, I kind of missed doing little stupid things like this," Risa agreed. "I mean, when was the last time we were able to go where we wanted? It was when we visited my place right?"

Kairi nodded, "Yep, and that was a long time ago."

"Not really, just...about half a year, to a year."

"True."

"How about this one?" Risa suggested suddenly as they stopped in front of an ice cream parlor.

"Mmm, you already know my answer," Kairi said with a grin.

"Right, I almost forgot, you could never turn down a sweet," Risa laughed as the two girls walked into the small shop while the two men waited outside, standing like statues in front of the store.

After the girls ordered their ice cream and sat down, they were finally able really to talk. "By the way, thanks again for bringing me homework these past few weeks," Kairi told her friend. "If it wasn't for you I would have failed my classes and this semester would have gone to waste."

"No problem," Risa murmured as she ate her ice cream. "I figured that you'd probably want it when you didn't come back to school. So, just how angry was Kaiba...and what happened that would make him put you in this position?" she asked motioning to the men sitting outside the shop.

Kairi hesitated, not wanting to recall that night. "Apparently I was found unconscious on his doorstep hours after leaving the arcade," Kairi said in a low voice.

"Really...I assumed you'd left because you spotted Ryou...but I didn't expect him to follow you," Risa murmured. "Unless it wasn't him...cause if it wasn't I'm sorry I implied that..."

Kairi shook her head. "Don't be sorry…. Though I'm really curious as to why you're wearing a scarf during the hottest time of the year."

"Considering I come from Egypt, this is actually cold," Risa answered calmly. She'd already answered that question enough times that it just came naturally to her now.

"If it's cold, then why are you wearing shorts and a t-shirt as well?"

"All my body warmth escapes through my neck, so as long as that's warm, the rest of me is."

"Actually, most heat in the human body is lost throughout the head and feet. Heat escapes from all parts, but the face, head and chest are more sensitive to changes in temperature than the rest of the body, because the rest of the body is circulated much better," Kairi stated knowingly. "Especially the neck area where the main arteries flow. Therefore, your excuse doesn't add up."

"Know it all," Risa muttered leaning on her hand. "Fine...I'll tell you my reasons...if you explain to me what happened."

"I can't say for sure," Kairi said, frowning down at her ice cream before reaching down and unbuttoning her overshirt. "All I know is… when I woke up, this was around my neck." She pulled open her shirt a sliver in order to show Risa the Millenium ring dangling around her throat. Risa couldn't hide the shock on her face and almost dropped her ice cream cone. "I'm begging you, please don't tell anyone," Kairi said earnestly.

"No worries there," Risa breathed still in shock. "How did you get that? I mean it disappeared with the other six items right?"

Kairi looked away and after a moment looked back. "_He_ probably gave it to me."

"_He_...Ryou? Or do you mean...ah. That would explain it."

"Your turn," Kairi said, quickly buttoning her shirt back up, once more hiding the necklace from view.

"Alright, but like you said, no telling," Risa said, though still sounding very reluctant. After Kairi vowed silence, Risa pulled the scarf down a little to reveal what was underneath.

Kairi stared for a few moments before opening her mouth. "Wow…. So you and Joey finally got together, huh?"

This time Risa did drop her ice cream. "What?! No...Joey didn't do this," she exclaimed.

"Oh, well I just couldn't picture Malik doing something like that."

"It wasn't Malik either!"

"Well then, who could have done it? Don't tell me you and Tris..."

"No...it was...Malik's darker half," Risa hissed in an undertone.

"Ah…. When?" Kairi asked as Risa covered the mark back up.

"Same night, after I got home from the arcade," Risa told her.

"Risa, that's not possibly," Kairi said with a shake of her head. "A hickey is just a spot of burst blood vessels, a bruise. It should have healed after a week or so."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Risa muttered. "But no matter what I do, it doesn't fade, I even went so far as to try to use my Aunt's make up...and it still was as clear as day."

"Is that why you've been getting nothing but turtle necks?"

"Yes, so I can quit wearing this stupid thing...and so people will stop asking stupid questions."

Kairi stared down at the table. "The three pairs of eyes in the museum…. That was them, wasn't it?"

Risa nodded. "I think so."

"So then… do the others know what's going on?"

"Not really… they're hoping that by getting themselves bodies, they've got what they wanted, but none of them are holding their breaths," Risa explained. "The rest of the group was finally filled in. Probably had to be since Atem got his own body."

"Does Ryou know?" Kairi asked.

"From what I've heard…. No. He's been avoiding the others like I have."

"Oh… just wondering," Kairi said. In a way she was glad. If Bakura did indeed get his own body, he didn't need to make Ryou do horrible things anymore. Ryou wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

When Kairi next saw Ryou, he hadn't remembered anything from that night, only that the ring and the spirit had just suddenly vanished. As odd as it had been, he wasn't complaining. Kairi didn't have the heart to tell him.

"To be honest, I haven't seen Malik since then either," Risa admitted. "He, his sister, and Odion all left after that night. Probably hoping they could find a way to remedy this whole thing. I can't see any hope for it though." She rubbed her forehead and tried to remove the image of Marik standing over her with that predatory expression. "I'm glad that I haven't seen any sign of _him_ though."

Kairi nodded her agreement and was about to ask something else when the sound of the door being opened and her name being called alerted her. She turned her head to see Ryou looking rather cheerful approaching their table. "I haven't seen you two since exam day," Ryou said brightly. "Where have you been hiding?" Before he got too close, and before Kairi or Risa could even answer, two pairs of arms restrained him.

"You are not to come anywhere near Miss Kairi," the two bulky men stated together.

"I was just saying hi," Ryou protested.

"Then say hi from outside," the men replied.

"Oh boy...if he doesn't remember what happened then he shouldn't have to go through this," Risa muttered to herself. "Ooh I know." She quickly whispered something to Kairi before the two of them headed out the door.

"He can stay here," Kairi told the men. "He's not hurting anyone...and besides I need to get going."

"Yes, ma'am," the two guards said before releasing Ryou and heading towards the door.

Just when they opened it, Risa stuck out her foot, tripping the first before nailing her elbow into his back. While the other one was recovering from his momentary shock, Kairi grabbed his hand and flipped him onto his back and knocking the wind out of him before stepping over him and grabbing Ryou by the hand.

"Come on," she told him before dragging him along. He followed without question and the three of them ran down the street as fast as they could, knowing the two men would be quick to recover.

"Sorry about your men," Risa said quickly. "But it was the only thing I could come up with on such short notice."

"That's alright...I'm sure Seto will be angry with me, but I needed this," Kairi replied.

"I can't believe you two just did that," Ryou exclaimed when he got over his surprise. "I mean, aren't they trained to be body guards...how did you take them both out...even temporarily?"

"My dad," Kairi replied simply.

"I had to learn how to defend myself traveling around Egypt," Risa explained shrugging as she reached into her bag and pulled out a dark brown wig that was as long in length as Kairi's hair. "Didn't think I'd get to use this so quickly."

"We're gonna have to move fast," Kairi said. "Ryou, you may want to turn around," she said before beginning to undress.

"You BETTER turn around," Risa corrected dangerously.

"S-Sorry!" Ryou stuttered, blushing before whirling around and forcing himself to stare at a wall, determined not to look. He kept staring at the wall even after they told him he could look. The thought of Kairi dressing right behind him kept surfacing to his mind despite all his efforts to extinguish them.

"Alright, Kairi, you two have fun. I'll make sure to keep them busy for as long as I can," Risa said as she now wore Kairi's clothes and her wig.

"Alright, and thanks," Kairi replied giving her friend a hug while wearing her clothes before grabbing Ryou by the hand and running off down one of the two adjoining alleyways.

Once they were far enough away, the two of them stopped for a breather. "What a rush," Kairi thought with a small laugh. She couldn't remember ever feel quite so…. adventurous.

"Glad to see you're doing well," Ryou panted as he attempted to get his wind back.

"You too," she said before hugging him. "Sorry I couldn't visit more often." Kairi knew they'd be safe for a while. No doubt Risa was leading those two guards all around the city and loving every minute of it.

"Uh, that's okay," he replied feeling embarrassed but pleased at her hug. "I'm just glad you're doing alright."

"So, now that we finally have some time to ourselves, how about we get some coffee at that jazz club?" Kairi asked, separating from him. "It should be dark enough to where no one will see or recognize us easily."

"Alright, sounds good," Ryou agreed with a smile.

He'd been wanting to talk to her ever since he woke up in the middle of an alleyway with a cold. Especially when he found out that she suddenly wasn't coming to school. He was sure that this was happening because of something Bakura had done, though having not seen or felt Bakura since then really made him feel uneasy. He followed Kairi all the way to and inside the club and sat down right next to her.

"So how come I haven't seen you at school lately?"

"Seto grounded me for hanging around with Yugi and the others and then coming home too late," Kairi explained. When the waitress came over to get their orders, Kairi asked for a cappuccino while Ryou ordered a soda.

"He grounded you for something like that?" Ryou asked after taking a drink of his soda.

"Yeah, but he warned me before hand that he would if I didn't stay away from them," Kairi explained.

"I see...and I guess I can't blame him, after all we do tend to be in the thick of everything that's happened," Ryou murmured. What made it worse was that he was sure he was part of the reason she was grounded. "So...why did you get home so late?" He really wanted to know if it was his fault even if it meant knowing that he hurt her.

"I took the wrong bus," Kairi replied, not revealing anything. She had sworn that she wouldn't worry him with stories of his once alter ego. He shouldn't have to worry about something like that. It wasn't as if it was his fault.

"Oh, well...I'm glad you weren't hurt or anything," Ryou replied. He knew she was hiding something about it...but decided not to press it and tried to change the subject. "Um...so why was Risa wearing a scarf? I mean wouldn't she be burning up?"

"Well, she's from Egypt so maybe she's just used to it," Kairi replied.

The waitress came back with their drinks. As she did so Kairi for some reason couldn't help but notice a newcomer walk past their table, his face covered by a dark, hooded sweatshirt. Kairi shivered as the stranger walked by but ignored it, watching out of the corner of her eyes as the person sat down in a corner booth before returning her attention to Ryou who seemed to have not noticed her momentary distraction. She took a long sip from her coffee mug, the hot liquid taking off the edge of the chills while the waitress went to tend to the new customer.

Ryou took another gulp of his soda and Kairi decided to take another look at the stranger. The waitress had reached him and had her little notebook out but after a short moment, she put it away and walked off without writing anything down.

"What are you looking at?" a voice sounded very close to her. She got another chill as she expected Bakura to appear at any moment. "Kairi...what are you looking at?" the voice repeated. She turned around and discovered that it had been Ryou talking.

"Huh? Sorry, I thought I saw something," Kairi said quickly taking another drink of coffee.

"Kairi…. Did something happen?" Ryou asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked him, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I told you, I'm FINE," Kairi said and this time her voice was hard. "Now just drop it." She stopped and lowered her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"No… it's alright. I didn't mean to make you angry," Ryou said softly, trying to hide the hurt that was evident in his voice.

Kairi felt really bad but tried to ignore it and lifted her cup for another drink.

"Someone's a little on the bad-tempered side this morning," a voice snickered. Kairi was so startled she dropped her cup spilling its contents on her arm, causing her to wince in pain.

"Kairi, are you alright?" Ryou exclaimed as he rushed to help her out. "It looks like you were burned, let's get it under some cold water quickly." He rushed Kairi off to the multi-gender bathroom and put her arm under the running water.

"Look how that weakling fusses over you. It's rather amusing actually how he thinks he can help you," the voice continued inside her head.

"Get… out… of…. My head," Kairi growled in her mind.

"Am I hurting you?" Ryou asked her, seeing the tightened expression on her face.

Kairi shook her head hurriedly, grimacing when she heard the spirit chuckle. She still didn't understand how she could hear his voice as plainly as she did Ryou's, yet Ryou was completely oblivious to it.

"You can hear me so clearly because I am inside of you," he laughed. "And as such, your thoughts, no matter how small, are mine to enjoy."

"Kairi... whatever is the matter?" Ryou's worried voice asked her, as he took hold of her shoulders. "You're shaking."

"I… I think I need to go," Kairi said and attempted to leave the bathroom, but Ryou's gentle grip kept her from doing so.

"He got to you," Ryou murmured. "He got to you through me didn't he...and now... Kairi, tell me what's going on."

"Ryou, let go of me," Kairi said, a little more loudly this time as she tried to get loose.

"Kairi, I'm begging you," Ryou said, pulling her into a tight hug. "Talk to me!"

"I said let go!" Kairi snapped and shoved him away with all of her strength. He fell backwards into the mirror, his head smacking into it with enough force to crack the glass. "R-Ryou…" Kairi whispered, horrified at what she had just done.

"You've got quite the temper don't you," the spirit laughed in her head. "How will you be able to face your friends after this little explosion?"

Ryou stared up at her, looking as though he didn't want to believe what just happened. "I… I'm sorry," she whispered again before bolting from the bathroom.

On her way out she spotted the stranger in the corner again and this time she was barely able to discern a small chuckle emanating from beneath the hood. Not knowing what else to do, Kairi ran out of the club, desperate to put as much distance as she could. She spotted a cathedral and quickly ran towards it, running inside before closing the doors behind her. She sat down on the floor, gasping for air. Ryou, poor Ryou. How could she ever look at him now?

"Did you really think such a building would protect you from me?" the voice chuckled again. "Your struggles to keep a hold of yourself are very amusing. And now there's no telling what kind of damage that weakling will have, especially since you just left him there to bleed."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Kairi screamed grabbing her head. Her shrill cry echoed throughout the empty building as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the voice.

"I'll go for now, but remember, I am always with you." As if to enhance his words, the millenium ring burned underneath her shirt. To her relief, the chill and the voice disappeared leaving her in a semi peaceful place.

* * *

On the outskirts of town, the two guards were still hunting down the false Kairi. "Did you find her yet?" the first one asked the second.

"No. It looks like she gave us the slip."

"Mr. Kaiba is going to fire us for sure," the first groaned.

"I'm not too sure if that's a bad thing," the second pointed out. "He's never exactly been the most caring boss I've ever had."

"Maybe not, but you'll never get paid like this again," the first retorted.

"Either way...it looks like there's no way we're going to find her here...and besides with moves like that I seriously don't think she needs us," the second murmured. "Let's just go." The first agreed and they left the small alleyway.

As they left a small snicker escaped a shadow that was watching them before disappearing down a nearby side street. When she got there she removed her wig and sighed in satisfaction. "Now that was fun. I think that all my years going through tombs has taught me a valuable lesson. When escaping someone, mazes are the best routes."

Risa stiffened as she thought she heard the sound of movement. She glanced around but didn't see anyone so she shrugged an continued deeper through the small space between two buildings. It was beginning to get late into the evening so she figured she might as well head home. Suddenly she heard a dark chuckle and once more she stopped to look warily around at her surroundings. Something about them suddenly seemed very...off.

She'd wandered around the city in the dark before and had never seen it ever get this dark. The walls were pitch black and she couldn't see anything behind her. The darkness of the night had grown black and even reached the point where she could barely see anything in front of her. Her mind flashed to the last time that she had ever dueled and she started to back up nervously. If this was indeed the beginnings of what Yugi called a shadow duel...she wanted no part of it.

"Whether you desire to be a part of it or not is no longer you choice," a low, dulcet voice rumbled in her ear. Risa nearly screamed in surprise, and jumped from her spot, searching but in vain. There was no one there. "You truly are an interesting creature, dear pet," the voice chuckled again and for some reason Risa was compelled to look upwards and there he sat casually on the sill of the window, observing her with amusement.

"Can't you go bother someone else?" Risa demanded angrily. "How is it he knew exactly what I was thinking?" she mumbled to herself.

"Oh, I can't do that," Marik chuckled lightly from his perch. "You see, there's something I want that only you can give me. And yes...I know exactly what you think."

"Stay away from me and out of my head," she told him as she tried to clear her head. After all, if he could read her thoughts, what better way to defeat him then clearing her head and acting on impulse...she'd seen it work in a movie so why not real life?

"Unfortunately it is not that simple," Marik told her as he gracefully descended from his perch to land a few feet away from her. "I am not merely reading your thoughts. My very being has now seeped inside of you. That mark I left on you during our last encounter is nothing ordinary, as I'm sure you've realized by now."

Risa cringed a little when she felt the aforementioned marking burn and throb, as if someone was taking a hot piece metal and pressing it against her flesh.

"Yeah, I noticed," she muttered resisting the urge to put her hand to her neck. "So what is it you want this time? I thought you already got what you wanted. Malik is gone, and I've been avoiding J...the others...so what's the point of dragging this on any longer?"

"I've already told you before, I have no intention of stopping until I see that fool as well as the rest of his friends perish for sending me to the shadow realm," Marik said easily, folding his arms and leaning against the wall of the ally. "But in order to do this, you're going to help me."

"Forget it," Risa declared resolutely. "I heard about all the stuff you did to them and I refuse to help you cause them more pain."

"I'm not asking you to do anything," Marik chuckled amused. "I'm going to tell you what you're going to do...and you're going to do it."

"That's not going to happen," she shot back moving slowly toward the nearest opening. "I won't help you hurt them in any way."

"You will do what I tell you, and with good reason," Marik said before making a small motion with one of his hands and pointing down to the ground near Risa's feet.

Out of curiosity mixed with impulse, she glance down where he was pointing and immediately jumped back with a scream. There right before her eyes were Malik and Joey's bodies laying on top of one another in a bloody mess. _"Oh god… OH GOD!"_ Risa thought frantically, clapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of terror that were fighting to break free as their dead eyes stared up at her, empty of the joyful light that she loved seeing in them.

"M-Malik...J-Joey...he...no, this has to be an illusion of some sort. There's no way that this could be..." she thought panicking at the sight.

"No, what you're seeing is not what's actually there," Marik spoke up, once again showing that her thoughts and feelings could not be hidden. "This is merely displaying what consequences will occur, should you decide to disobey me."

"I can't disobey you if I'm not ordered to do anything," Risa muttered as she tore her eyes away from the gruesome sight and dashed down the alley she'd been moving towards.

She hadn't gotten more than a yard or so when suddenly pain exploded through her body and her legs gave out, her bare knees crashed down on the abrasive concrete, shredding the skin. The pain from that, however, was minuscule to the agony that was erupted through her, and it seemed to quake through every fiber of her anatomy.

Then altogether, it stopped, leaving her with only the burning throb of her scraped knees that were steadily bleeding through the dirt that caked over them upon earthly impact. She sat there panting and shivering in shock, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't even noticed when she started crying. Risa almost flinched when she felt a hand brush the wet trail with hot fingers.

"That, my pet, is only one of the many ways I can enforce some discipline upon you," Marik told her as he licked the salt substance off his fingers with a satisfied smile.

She sat up despite the shivers that were running through her, and the pain that was throbbing in her knees and glared at Marik...though it was closer to a pleading look than anything else. "Leave them alone," she muttered through her tears. "I don't care what you do to me...but leave them all alone."

"That depends on what you decide," Marik warned her. "However, I can't promise that Kaiba's charge will have that liberty."

"Kairi, what does Bakura plan to do with her?" she asked warily.

"Believe me, if I knew, I would tell you if nothing else to savor the sweet anguish that would eat at your heart out of worry for your friend's safety," Marik said in a clement tone as he traced a finger slowly up over the side of her throat and across her jaw line. "But I couldn't care less about the thief's desires or intentions. We do not work together out of amity, you see."

"So you're both in this for your own ambitions," Risa murmured trying not to jerk away from his hand. "Once you finally get whatever it is you're seeking...what will happen to the two of us?"

"You will just have to wait and see," Marik said with another chuckle as he stepped back into the shadows. "Until next time, my pet. Just remember that I will always have my eye on you."

As he disappeared, Risa took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She couldn't believe it, no matter what she did, he would know right away. "How do I talk to any of them with this hanging over my shoulder?" she wondered worriedly as she slowly got to her feet. "How do I explain to Yugi and...Joey that..." At the thought of seeing Joey, the image of him lying dead shot across her mind and the mark on her neck burned warningly.

* * *

CM: Talk about frightening. What can you do when it's all inside your head, right? Can Kairi and RIsa continue to go on living like nothing's happening? Stay tuned!


	9. Slow Dark Poison

**CHAPTER NINE: Slow Dark Poison**

After a few minutes, Kairi walked home, got a huge reprimanding from Seto in the process, and was sent to her room directly afterwards. Kairi wasn't complaining, at least this way she felt safer. Just as she closed the door to her bedroom, she heard a soft voice, only this time it wasn't in her head.

"Hello, my light."

Kairi whirled around only to be face to face with her tormentor. "How…?" Kairi breathed, quickly retreating. "You can't be here. It's not possible."

"I've always been good at getting into places people say is impossible," he laughed softly approaching her. "If you remember, I was once a notorious thief, stealing everything I wanted...including a young maiden's heart."

"Why are you doing this?" Kairi asked him, still attempting to keep out of his reach.

"To make a point," Bakura told her. "That no matter where you are, or who you are with, I will always be able to get to you."

"You got what you wanted from me, didn't you?" Kairi said desperately. She had no doubts now that the reason why he was now here in flesh and blood, was because of her. "Why are you still tormenting me?"

"I've only obtained a part of what I wanted," he answered talking a few more steps toward her. "There is still much that I desire from you...and there is much that I WILL take from you." He chuckled again as she scurried away from him even farther.

"S-Stay back," Kairi warned. "Or…. I'll scream."

"And risk one of your precious little family members getting hurt?" Bakura asked with a raised eyebrow.

As Kairi stared at him, the full gravity of the situation weighed down upon her. It didn't matter if it was one or hundred, this man would cause them all to fall without even lifting a finger.

"That's better. Now take a seat so you're not exhausting yourself," he suggested motioning toward either her chair or her bed. "It'll be much more comfortable this way."

Kairi slowly sat down on her bed, feeling uncomfortable under his hungry gaze. She glared at him, attempting to hide just how shaken she was actually feeling.

"You can't hide your emotions from me," he murmured taking a seat beside her. "Though I must say, I've always thought your angry look was quite appealing." He reached up to stroke her cheek as he spoke and his smile broadened when she shivered and pulled away. "Are you afraid of what might happen if you accept your true feelings?"

"I have no feelings for you," Kairi snapped irritably, ignoring the icy tingle now fresh on her face.

"Surely you can feel it, stirring deep within you, the connection between you and I." He trailed a hand down her body to rest on her hip. "Your light and my darkness are now entwined."

Kairi searched within herself and found that what he said was true. It felt as if a massive rubber band was wrapped around the two of them, connecting them. That must have been the weight she had been experiencing since she had first woken up. She shook her head, refusing to accept it. "No… I don't believe you."

"Since awakening, have you ever felt like you were alone, at any point in time?" he asked her knowingly. "Or have you felt a weight drawing you toward some unknown destination?"

Kairi knew there was no denying his words, but she didn't want to admit it to him or herself. She felt doing so would be accepting defeat.

"Very well, I shall force you to see what you choose to deny," Bakura said.

She was about to get up, not wanting to give him anything more. Bakura had other plans, however, as he grabbed a hold of her arms and pulled her into him.

"Stop it. Let go," Kairi said forcefully, trying to break loose, but to no avail.

Her defiance amused him as if he'd expect nothing less, but he refused to allow her an escape. Instead, he forced her to look at him and melded his face with hers. Her fighting stopped almost instantaneously and he slowly lowered her to the bed, delighted by her unconscious acceptance.

Kairi felt a sudden ease in her tension, and the heavy weight seemed to lift from her as her mouth quickly fell in sync with his. "Why?" she thought to herself. "Why am I doing this?"

"Because you are a part of me now," Bakura whispered against her lips. "And I you. With your light and my darkness, our power is limitless. We can do anything."

Kairi felt a spark of anger ignite within her. "Stop trying to brainwash me with your words and your magic!" she shouted.

There was a sudden knock on the door and a guard called through. "Is everything alright, Miss Kairi?"

"Do you really want him to get involved?" Bakura asked from his place on top of her. "Allow him to enter and things might get very complicated."

"I-I'm fine!" Kairi shouted, hoping against hope that they would be smart and stay out. "I was just rehearsing a play. I'm going to bed soon so please don't disturb me anymore."

"As you wish, ma'am," he said and she heard footsteps leaving. She exhaled in relief but her momentary respite was cut short.

Bakura shifted so he was directly over her now and he had gone back to nibbling at her exposed neck. He also started to move his hands down her sides while his full weight pinned her to the bed. Kairi bit her lip to avoid letting out a moan as he slowly, agonizingly slowly, moved down her neck.

"Even with my darkness coursing through you, you're still so desperately trying to protect those around you," Bakura spoke in a low rumble against her neck, causing her to shudder. "And you should know that I haven't used any magic since I got the light I needed from you," he told her. "What you're feeling now is all you."

"You're lying," Kairi muttered in a low voice. Inside, however, she felt that she couldn't help but believe him…something was keeping her from fighting back.

"It's not that you can't fight back," Bakura simpered. "It's that you do not wish to. It would be much easier if you just allowed the darkness in rather than fight it."

He was right, and Kairi knew it. Even now, as she struggled to keep hold on herself, she could feel her will power and her spirit weakening under his influence.

"Please stop it," She begged, though was careful to keep her voice down. "Stop corrupting me. I never asked for this."

"And yet, it was you who summoned me," Bakura chuckled stroking her lower lip lightly with his fingers. "You who allowed me to reenter this world, and you who gave me the power to obtain this body."

"No…. no…" Kairi said over and over, not wanting to believe it.

"You've been such a good help to me, my light, and I always reward those who help me." Bakura said in a disturbingly soothing manner as his lips hovered right against her ear.

"I-I don't want your k-kind of reward," Kairi stuttered. She was having a hard time forming her arguments against him now as he continued to move his lips up and down her neck.

At her protests, he stopped that and instead focused his attention on her mouth. After a bit he stopped and looked down at her. "Obviously your mouth had too much free time, so I decided to give it something more productive to do."

"I hate you," Kairi whispered hoarsely as tears of anger began to well up in her eyes. "You made me hurt Ryou."

"No, I didn't," he whispered back. "That beautiful display was your own free will."

"I would never… not to Ryou," Kairi protested, trying to struggle out of his hold. "It's your fault. You're making me this way. Whatever it is, take it back. I don't want it."

"If I did that, you would die, as there would be nothing to fill in that void," Bakura replied softly.

What was he saying? That she was stuck like this forever? No…. no! She would not accept that. She had finally got a great life going. And then suddenly this weird Egyptian curse springs up and now her soul was ripped out to be replaced with shadows?

"Why me?" she asked him. Of all people why did it have to be her?

"Why did it have to be you? It did because you are the only one who carries the light from Ra himself," Bakura explained seductively.

"Ra's…. light?" Kairi whispered, not understanding what he was saying. She knew about Ra, he was an Egyptian god of the sun. But how was it possible for a human be to be holding anything that belongs to a god?

"It was something you were born into long ago," Bakura explained, his fingers threading into her hair. "And something you carry with you to this day."

"So you just want me for this light then?" Kairi whispered coldly. Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone used her as a tool.

"While the light is the first thing that I aimed for, no, that's not the only reason. I've already told you that there is much that you still have that belongs to me," Bakura replied biting softly down on her earlobe.

Kairi breathed and by this point his scent was covering her like a cool wintery blanket. Her body was both hot and cold with his lean form pressed so snugly against her, pushing her down into the blankets. She knew this wasn't something she should be enjoying, she hardly knew this person. Or… did she? Suddenly, she heard an angry voice on the speaker.

**"Mitsuko! I'm coming in so if you're not ready you better be ready in two minutes!" **Kaiba shouted before the intercom clicked off.

Kairi's heart almost cart wheeled with joy and relief, yet a part of her still carried some dread.

"Hmm...that fool continues to try to block me from what is mine," Bakura murmured sliding slowly off of her and getting to his feet. "No worries though, I've already stolen you away from him once before. Doing so a second time will be an easy task." As he spoke he walked toward the window and, with an exultant smile, leaped out of it.

Kairi watched him leave. "Never fear. I won't be very far," his voice echoed in her ears just as the door to her bedroom opened and Kaiba walked in looking livid.

"I want an explanation," Kaiba told her.

Kairi stared at him for a few moments and was inclined to once more hug him in relief, but the lingering chill stopped her from doing so. "Explain what?"

"Explain why you felt it necessary to go out shopping with your friend and then ditch the men who were protecting you!" Kaiba answered angrily.

Normally she would have flinched at him yelling at her, but tonight she felt oddly numb. "I don't need protection."

"Two people were murdered at your school, you show up on the doorstep in the middle of the night unconscious, what part of that constitutes you not needing protection?" Kaiba demanded.

"If you feel that way then why not just lock me up in a tower and be done with it?" she snapped fiercely.

For a split second, she managed to catch the young CEO off guard. Never had she EVER dared to speak to him like that. The momentary anger in her eyes flooded away to be replaced with guilt. She felt sick to her stomach, now able to sense the darkness within her stirring unpleasantly.

"If that's the way you feel, then you can stay up here until this is over," Kaiba told her almost sadly...though he fought to keep from showing how much that hurt. "You won't be seeing anyone any more...not even that friend of yours who brought your homework."

Kairi could feel herself wanting to cry, not just for her punishment being worsened, but also for hurting Seto and out of concern for his safety. "Things can never go back to the way they were, can they?" She said sadly as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a tiny white chess piece, the queen. "You remember, don't you? The promise we made that day?"

"I don't remember anything from that time," Kaiba replied harshly. "It was a time where I was nothing but a foolish child, but now I'm in charge of my own company and don't have the time to play your silly games."

"Don't you see that if you keep me here you're only going to…" her voice suddenly choked off, as if a hand had closed itself around her throat and she couldn't finish what she had wanted to say.

"I'm only going to be keeping you from possible danger," Kaiba finished off, ignoring the worry in her voice. "If you don't want it, then go find somewhere else to live."

Kairi clutched the chess piece tightly in her hand to the point where it started to hurt. "Maybe…. Maybe I will."

"If you leave, then don't you ever come back," he muttered before walking out the door.

Kairi breathed shallow breaths, not wanting to give in to the hurt, anger, and pain that were welling up inside of her.

_"You see that?"_ A dark voice chuckled in her ear. _"He wouldn't miss you, even if you did leave."_

"Shut up," Kairi whispered out loud. "You don't know anything."

_"Hehe...yes I know nothing, and yet you are the one who suffers at the hands of the very being you've trusted since childhood,"_ he laughed. _"What will you do now that he's abandoned you?"_

"I hate you," Kairi sobbed drawing her knees up to her chest. "I HATE you. Just get out of my life and stay out."

_"I can't do that, my little light. Soon, I will be the only one you have left,"_ he murmured almost lovingly to her. _"Not even the fool, Ryou, will want to be anywhere near you again."_

That was when Kairi buried her face in her pillow and screamed, looking for any kind of release from the madness that was taking over.

Little did she know, Seto had lingered in front of her bedroom door. Even though the oak doors were thick, he could still hear her faints sobs and whispers of detestation. His fist tightened and he tore himself away from the door, forcing himself to get back to work. As he walked away, an unwanted memory came flooding into his mind.

_"Seto, please don't go. I want you and Moki to stay!"_

_"Don't worry, Kairi, we'll come back for you one day, I promise. And when that happens, you can be my little sister so that the three of us can be a family together."_

_"Really?" Kairi asked hopefully._

_"Yeah, and when that happens, I won't let anything hurt you or Moki," he said opening his chess board and picking out a piece before handing it to her._

_"The white queen?" Kairi asked staring at it. "But…. You always said I acted like a pawn."_

_"Maybe now you do," he said with a small smile. "But you'll become a queen some day. I know it."_

_Kairi's eyes welled up with tears and she hugged him tightly. "Okay, then as a queen I promise I'll protect you too, cuz I love you, Seto! And Moki too! I love you!"_

"Obviously we were just children who were filled with silly ideas," Kaiba muttered to himself. "There's no way that I would ever give up what I have now for that little idiot." He shook his head and tried very hard to rid himself of the Kairi's hopeful expression. Only after this did her angry and hurt face surface in his mind. "It seems she's finally grown up...about time."

* * *

The next morning….

"I can't believe you, Seto!" Mokuba's shouts echoed through the vast halls of the Kaiba mansion as his brother got ready for work. "I can't believe you actually told Kairi to leave! Why would you tell her something like that?"

"She brought it up herself, I merely told her that if she did then she couldn't return," Kaiba answered shortly. "It's her own choice if she leaves or not."

"I can't blame her for saying something like that, but couldn't you tell she was just trying to get you to be worried about her?" Mokuba demanded. "She doesn't really want to leave, but after hearing you say that she probably thinks you want her to!"

"I don't need someone who can't follow simple rules," Kaiba said flatly.

"Seto, you've been treating her like a prisoner ever since the incident at school," Mokuba pouted. "I'm worried too but she's still a human being. If I were locked up here all day I'd go crazy too. You need to go to her right now and apologize and let her know you want her to stay."

"I'm not doing something as pointless as that," Kaiba declared. "If she wants to leave she can leave, I don't really care one way or the other."

"Then why did you adopt her in first place?" Mokuba demanded.

"Because I wanted to keep an eye on her after her father tried to use her to steal from me," Kaiba answered simply. "There's no other reason than that."

"You don't mean that," Mokuba said, getting a look of a puppy that was just kicked. "But if she leaves…. Then I'm leaving too."

Kaiba looked at his younger brother and fought with himself over the issue. "Fine, I'll take her to work with me or something," he muttered walking away. "Don't misunderstand this though, I'm not doing this because I want her to stay."

"Sure you don't," Mokuba said with a small grin. But he knew that if his brother truly didn't want to do something, he wouldn't.

Meanwhile, Kairi had just woken up and was staring down at the millennium necklace in deep thought. Its golden surface reflected a brooding face filled with internal conflict. The once bright blue eyes were slightly darkened. The entire room seemed to swirl with ever growing negative energy. She had another dream last night; wandering through endless darkness, with no one to help her. It wouldn't be too long until she finally collapsed, unable to wander any longer, unable to find her way back.

There was a loud knock on her door that forcibly dragged her out of her reverie and she called out to the person to enter after stuffing the ring beneath her shirt. The door opened and Kaiba entered with his usual grouchy face.

"Get dressed," he told her gruffly. "You're coming to work with me today and I don't want to be late."

Kairi's eyes widened and she felt her spirits lift significantly. She nodded silently as an indication that she understood and quickly leapt up to get ready. She wasn't sure why, but she felt really happy.

Kaiba quickly left the room after his declaration and Kairi followed closely after him. "What are you so joyful about?" he demanded, finding her happy aura to be both annoying and a relief.

"Nothing," Kairi said quickly, though she couldn't hide her smile. She wanted to tell Seto how happy she was for several reasons, but she knew that she would just sound like a complete sap to him if she did, so she just silently followed him. The last time he had taken her to work was when she had been working for him. She felt like he was finally beginning to trust her again.

Kaiba glanced at her smile but didn't press his question, instead they continued onto his company building where he set her at a small desk outside his office. "I need you to keep everyone who doesn't already have an appointment out while I work," he told her. "And I need you to do this without disappearing on me suddenly."

"Okay," Kairi said trying to keep the giddiness out of her voice.

"Make no mistake," Kaiba told her. "I'm only doing this because I happen to be shorthanded right now. I have no intention of paying you."

"Alright," Kairi nodded.

"One little slip up from you and it's straight home," he warned.

"I understand," Kairi agreed.

_"She's being unusually agreeable today,"_ he thought to himself. _"This had better be worth the effort."_ He nodded at her and without another word, went into his office and closed the door. "I swear, that girl is more trouble than she's worth...so then why am I doing all this?"

* * *

Tap tap tap.

Risa's eyelids creaked open, squinting through the dark bedroom. She glanced over at her clock and saw that it was mid morning.

Tap tap tap.

There it was again, the sound that had awoken her in the first place. She slowly got out of bed. What could be making that sound?

Tap tap tap.

Louder this time. It was coming from the window.

She slowly made her way to the curtained window and took a deep breath, ready to shoo the birds away, and opened the curtain. As she did, her eyes shot open as she saw Joey Wheeler outside her window tapping on the glass. She jumped back in surprise, hit her desk chair, and toppled over it landing face first on the floor. "Ouch...what is he...?" Picking herself off the floor, she sighed and opened the window.

"Are you okay? That looked like a nasty fall," Joey immediately asked.

"I-I'm fine Joey. What are you doing out there?"

"Well, I tried knocking but no one answered," Joey explained. "Then I tried calling your phone but I got an answering machine. Then tried calling your aunt and she said you were still home and that you were probably still sleeping."

"That doesn't explain why you're out there," she pointed out with a frown.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," Joey explained. "We haven't really seen or heard from you since Yugi explained to us what was going on and we were starting to get really worried."

"There's no need for you to worry," Risa told him seriously. "I'm just fine."

"Well...can I come in at least? These branches aren't exactly comfortable to sit on."

Risa looked farther out the window and discovered that he was indeed sitting on a branch of the tree just outside it. "Alright...but once you're in you should probably go home or something."

"No promises there," Joey said before clambering in after Risa stepped out of the way. "So I was wondering, you wanna go do something today?"

"Not really," Risa said right off the bat.

"Come on, Risa. What's gotten into you? It's the beginning of summer. You should be out having fun, not holed up in here like a mummy."

"Egyptian joke...funny," Risa groaned. "Look Joey, I'm really not in the mood. After everything that's happened I just need time to clear my head before I do anything else." She could already feel her cheeks turning a little red at him being in her room and was tempted to just allow him to hang out, but the image of him and Malik shot across her mind again and she quickly doused that idea.

"Does it have anything to do with the Pharoah and them getting bodies?" Joey guessed. "Cuz believe me, I'm a little creeped out too. I still jump every time I go to Yug's house and I turn around and there's another one of him." Risa giggled despite herself and this caused Joey to smile. "There we go, that's what I'm used to seeing. You ain't got nothing to worry about, Risa. We'll take care of this thing no problem. Trust me."

"I-I want to believe that Joey," she thought as her face fell again. "But if you get involved, Marik will...just like Manbu. I don't want to...see that..."

"So how about we do something to keep that smile on your face," Joey suggested out of the blue. "Get changed and I'll take you somewhere you can forget about all this, at least for a little while." He left the room as he spoke and closed the door.

Risa stood there a several moments surprised by his enthusiasm and unsure of what to do. Eventually she decided to change and see what he was talking about. When the door to her room finally opened she was wearing a short sleeved turtle neck with shorts and sandals. "So...where were you thinking?" she asked him.

"How about we go for some pizza?" Joey suggested.

"Pizza for breakfast?" Risa asked.

"There isn't a wrong time for pizza, Risa," Joey said before laughing. "Hey, I made a rhyme. Oh, and it's lunch time for me."

"Really," Risa sighed.

"You're hungry right? So come on, let's go."

"No, I'm really not..." she stopped her protest as a low grumble escaped her belly and she blushed heavily. "Well...maybe I am a little bit."

"Great then, let's eat!" Joey shouted grabbing her hand and leading her out of her house. "And after this, let's go to Kaiba land."

"Kaiba land? Do you have that kind of money?" Risa demanded in surprise.

"I've been saving up," Joey grinned.

"Joey…. You really don't have to…" Risa began, starting to feel guilty.

"I know I don't have to, but it's something I want to do," he said as they walked down the street, hand in hand. RIsa quickly slipped out of his grip but continued walking with him.

"Fine, but I don't want to be out for too long," she resigned.

"Just no disappearing," Joey said with a laugh.

"I'll try not to," Risa agreed reluctantly.

They walked together to their favorite pizza shop and stepped inside. The place was rather busy, but a young waitress showed them to an empty booth where she took their order. Risa really didn't have any preference at the moment, so Joey decided to get them a large meatlovers. "I hope you're as hungry as you sounded, because this is going to be good," Joey said happily licking his lips.

"Somehow, I doubt I'll be able to stomach much," Risa thought wearily.

"So, you going for a new look or something?" Joey asked her out of the blue.

"Huh? What brought this up?" Risa asked, completely unprepared for his question.

"Well, I noticed you've been wearing a lot of turtlenecks lately," Joey said now looking boyishly curious. "I didn't think you were into stuff like that."

"Well...I wore one once, found it to be rather comfortable and so I tried on others," Risa answered with a shrug. Her breathing had increased for just a second as she tried to remember the excuses she'd come up with before. This was one reason why she had been avoiding him. "Is it really that strange to see me wearing a turtle neck?"

"No, I think it looks really great on you," Joey said hurriedly. For some reason, this comment caused Risa's face to heat the slightest bit red. "So I was thinking," Joey continued, "that over the summer we should all go on a trip somewhere, Kairi too if we could just sneak her out of the dragon's lair."

"Are you sure this is really the time to be planning trips?" Risa asked thinking about the current situation.

"Well, there's really not much going on at the moment, and I figured you'd like the chance to go someplace where crazy evil spirits won't be," Joey answered honestly.

"Well...I could use a break, but I'm not sure now is such a great time, Joey."

"It's okay, I'll let you think about it for a while," Joey said perking up when he saw the pizza coming their way. "For now, let's dig in!"

"I swear, Joey, I don't know where your optimism stems from," Risa sighed with a shake of her head. But she had to admit, being around Joey was like walking out into the sun after a long rainy day.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when a young boy with white hair walked up to the front doors of the Kaiba Corporation. As he reached the double door entrance, he was stopped by a guard. "What business do you have at Kaiba Corp.?" the guard demanded in a smooth melodic voice.

"Well, you see my cousin is Mr. Kaiba's personal secretary and she asked me to grab a few things from her desk while she was away," the boy answered calmly.

"Do you have any form of identification?" the guard asked not giving an inch.

"I have a driver's license, but she's my cousin through my Aunt so we have different last names and it won't do any good," he told the guard as a little bit of nervousness crept into his heart and lungs. "I called up Mr. Mokuba Kaiba though, and he said it was alright."

"Mmmm, I suppose if you're familiar with Mr. Mokuba, then it should be alright," the guard replied after some thought. "I'll have someone escort you up to the area."

"Thank you very much," Ryou said, refraining from breathing a sigh of relief. He waited until another black tie showed up and led him to an elevator that took them to the very top floor. The minute or so that it took were the longest in Ryou's life. In a way he was grateful to have a guide. The place was so massive that he might have gotten lost within a few doors worth of wandering.

When the elevator finally reached the top floor, the guard escorted him off the elevator and down several hallways before coming in sight of the secretary's desk. "Miss Kairi, this boy is here to pick up a few things for his cousin. When he's done, give us a call and I'll escort him out," he said in a much deeper and rougher voice than the first man.

Kairi's eyes widened into the size of plates and Ryou hoped that she would be quick on the uptake, and that she wouldn't have him tossed out. She didn't disappoint him. "Thank you, Tom, I'll take it from here." The man nodded and as soon as he was out of ear shot, Kairi turned to Ryou. "What in the name of the seven wonders do you think you're doing?" she hissed in an undertone. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you would be in if you were caught?"

"I know...but I really wanted to talk to you," Ryou answered just as quietly. "I...I don't blame you for the incident in the bathroom, and I'm sorry I pushed the issue as much as I did. I just didn't want you to leave on bad terms."

Karin felt her anger ebb away. He had come to apologize to _her_? What was the world coming to? "Were you…. Hurt?" she asked him after a moment of contemplation.

He shook his head. "No… didn't even bleed. But the mirror couldn't be saved."

Kairi wanted to laugh, but she didn't think she could bring herself to. "Ryou, I'm sorry but, I can't see you anymore."

"Is it because of HIM or because of your guardian?" Ryou asked seriously.

"I don't…. want to see you anymore," she said point blank.

"Kairi, you're a lot of things," Ryou said softly. "But a good liar isn't one of them. If it's Kaiba, I'll understand. But if it's him…."

"Why can't you just mind your own business?" Kairi demanded in frustration. "Why did you have to come here and bother me?"

"Because I care about you," Ryou told her insistently

Kairi shook her head and turned to walk away but he caught her by the hand. She felt a tenseness in his grip, as if he just discovered something. "Kairi…. What's wrong?" Ryou asked her, his voice carrying deep concern. "You're hands are dreadfully cold."

"It's probably just chilly in here," Kairi replied, shrugging it off. She felt his warm hand touch her cheek and it felt like sitting next to a fireplace.

"Your skin is so cold, are you coming down with something?" he asked placing his hand on her forehead. "You don't seem to have any bodily warmth at all. Maybe you should be wearing something warmer if you're this cold."

Kairi closed her eyes, basking in the warmth like a reptile straight out of homeostasis. She heard the desk phone ring and quickly snapped out of her momentary reverie. She moved away from him and answered the phone. "Kaiba Corp. how may I help you?" she asked and there was a short pause. "One moment please and I'll redirect you." She pressed a button and set the phone back down on the receiver before leaning against the desk.

"You're sure you're alright?" Ryou asked again bringing her back to the conversation at hand. "If there's anything you need help with, you know you can always tell me about it. I just want to help you...if I can." He knew there was more to the cold in her skin and the fear that lay deep in her eyes, and he hated knowing that this was all because he wasn't strong enough to stop its beginning.

"Ryou, there's nothing you can do," Kairi told him bluntly. After seeing what _he_ could do, she'd just as soon leave it to the experts. She felt his arms encircle her from behind.

"Please…. Let me at least try."

She really wanted to lean against him and bask in the warmth that he brought, but a burning sensation around her neck told her it was impossible. Instead she pulled out of his grasp and picked up the phone. "Tom, the boy is done grabbing his cousin's things. Please show him out now," she said into the phone.

"So…. you really won't let me help?" Ryou asked, and Kairi could hear the slight hurt in his voice.

Kairi shook her head. "No."

"I understand," he said softly. Then she felt one of his hand rest itself on her right cheek and a pair of lips brush the left before letting her go again. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying." Kairi could only stand there in stunned silence as the tingling warmth lingered on her cheeks.

Kairi wanted to say something, despite the warning she felt in her heart, but was saved the trouble of deciding when Tom showed up. "I hope you've finished with your business boy, because it's time for you to leave," he grumbled before leading him back toward the elevator.

Kairi watched Ryou leave without another word, seeming to have resigned himself to the fact that she was more tightly bound than she was willing to show. She absentmindedly touched her cheek, but scowled and turned back to her work. The guy needed to learn to mind his own business. She didn't need anyone's help…. So then why did she feel like going after him?

As she returned to her seat, Kairi felt a burning sensation around her neck and realized that Bakura wasn't too happy about her little conversation. Strangely enough this thought made her smile a little. She glanced up at the monitors and watched as Ryou made his way out of Kaiba Corp. She glanced away just as Ryou reached the outer wall and missed the camera flicker a little as he walked on by.

* * *

CM:Things seem to be going okay... but how long will that last? Oh the humanity! Or lack there of... lol, ignore me being a dork. Stay tuned for the next chapter of Yugioh, Line That Divides. P.S. College is a nightmare :S


	10. The Price of Friendship

CM: Sorry for the late posting. College you know? And I'm I science major of all things. Oi...

CHAPTER TEN: The Price of Friendship

The rest of the afternoon went peacefully by with no interruptions. Kairi spent the day taking messages and redirecting phones calls, and even getting an item or two for Seto. When she wasn't busy she would surf the web and read nonsensical fanfictions to give her mind a break. :P It was beginning to get dark when she stepped into Kaiba's office holding a cup of ordered straight black coffee.

"How's it going, boss?" she asked the working CEO kindly.

"It would be a lot better if I didn't have that mad man calling me every 10 minutes to talk about his card ideas," Kaiba grumbled. He was speaking of Pegasus of course. "He's driving me crazy." He took the coffee from her and took a large gulp from it before setting it heavily down on his desk. "You can go home now, and tell Mokuba I'll be late tonight."

"Okay, just try not to work yourself to death," Kairi told him with a smile.

"Hn," Kaiba grunted in reply.

After she was gone, Kaiba opened his drawer to pull out some files. As he did a bouncing clatter caught his attention and he looked down to see a grayish colored marble rolling easily along the floor next to the leg of his desk.

"What… oh," Kaiba thought as he bent down to pick it up. "I almost forgot I still had this thing," he said staring at it. It was a good luck charm that Kairi had given to him when they were still living at the orphanage. It resembled a large gray marble, though it seemed to shine with a life of its own. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why he still had the stupid thing.

"It's just a simple marble with several blemishes," he murmured to himself staring at it. "An imperfection among everything that is perfect. I should really just toss the stupid thing." He glanced over at his trashcan and moved to toss it in, but instead he put it back in his drawer. "I'll just do it later."

* * *

Kairi bid the people at the workplace good night before she was escorted out of the building. The sun was already beginning to fade behind the horizon and it would be getting dark soon. She breathed in the cool night air before exhaling it. There was no need for her to worry. Seto wasn't about to throw her away; at least not right at the moment. As long as she still had a home, then she could make it through somehow. With any luck Yugi and the others would have found a resolution to all of this in time. She hoped they were doing alright.

As she walked along the outside of Kaiba Corp. to the bus stop, the wind died down and a strange chill set in.

_"This way, over here,"_ a voice called out in her head. _"Believe me, you'll want to see this."_

Kairi already knew who it was, and she wasn't very inclined to have another face to face meeting with this person. Rather than incur some unspeakable wrath, she followed the pull of the ring from around her neck to guide her where she needed to be.

"You're a rather fast learner, to come when called," the voice chuckled as she came around the final corner into an unused side street. "However, I have to say you're rather slow when it comes to your friends."

There was a single light on the street that illuminated a small portion of it, enough to show her that someone was lying on the ground in front of her. At first Kairi couldn't tell who it was, but upon closer examination of the shape of the outline and the clothes, she realized quickly who it was.

"Ryou!" She knelt down and touched his shoulder, trying to shake him awake. "Ryou, wake up. Please tell me you're not…."

"No, he isn't dead," a voice chuckled and Kairi whirled around and saw to her dismay, Bakura standing half in the shadows, watching her intently.

She took a defensive stance, standing over Ryou protectively. "You… what have you done to Ryou? He didn't do anything to you so why did you hurt him? He did nothing wrong."

"Actually he did," Bakura murmured alluringly. "He brought out your feelings of affection, straying into what belongs to me. And now he's paid for it...at least somewhat. I should have done more for that kiss he gave you, but I wanted to save some fun for later."

"Great… just what I always wanted, a psychotic, overly possessive stalker boyfriend," Kairi thought acidly.

She looked down at Ryou and though he was unconscious, she could faintly hear his breathing. She was immensely grateful that Bakura had decided not to do worse, but she still felt responsible for Ryou's current predicament.

"Are you worried about my former host?" Bakura asked noticing the feelings she was putting out. "If so, then when I next call for you, you will come to me without question as you have done now, and you will do exactly as I say."

Kairi didn't say anything as she stooped down next to Ryou's limp form. Using all her strength, she pulled one of his arms around her shoulders while latching her other arm around his middle and hoisted him up off the ground. She imagined Ryou turning out like Sashio and almost cried right there.

"Over time, you will learn." She looked up but saw he was no longer there, but could still hear his voice. _"Enjoy your time with that weakling... for now."_

She ignored his comment and carried Ryou out of the side street and over to the main street where she called a taxi. When the cab came to a stop, she gently put Ryou inside and gave the cab driver an address. After a long and tense ride, she found herself outside of the Mottou game shop holding Ryou up by his arm. She knocked on the door and waited before the it opened to reveal short little Yugi.

"Kairi what's…." Then he noticed Ryou. "What happened?" he exclaimed.

"Yugi…. I need your help," Kairi said in a pleading whisper.

* * *

When the pair was finished with the pizza, they made their way to Kaiba land. Once there, Risa couldn't help but feel the corners of her mouth lift.

"So what do you want to go on first?" Joey asked with a smiled, seeing how his plan was starting to work.

"Um...well...how about a roller coaster?" Risa suggested.

"Fine by me, let's go," Joey said taking her hand and leading her into the park.

Risa felt her heart jump for a moment and couldn't understand why, but her symptoms didn't stop there. With that one touch, she felt her hand start to get sweaty, and her breathing get shallower. Quickly she brushed it off and was determined to get through the night as fast as possible. By the time they were off the roller coaster, Risa was winded and dizzy and she felt like she was still flying.

"Whoa…." She giggled, teetering on the spot. "That was a rush."

"You can say that again," Joey laughed, though secretly he had almost gotten reacquainted with his breakfast. "Why don't we do bumper cars next?"

"You're on!" Risa exclaimed running to the attraction.

Joey smiled at her reaction and raced off as well. She beat him to the bumper cars but he played it off as if he let her, and then once they were in them, they had a fierce battle of who could bump who the most.

"What's the matter Joey, not can't get a hang of that wheel?" she shouted as he got stuck for the third time in a row

"I think mine's broken," Joey said as an excuse.

"Uh-huh, suuuuuuuuuuure," Risa said not believing him for a moment.

By this time she was feeling very relieved. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have fun without having to worry. After the bumper cars, Joey bought Risa some cotton candy and a soda.

"With all this sugar, I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight," Risa commented, popping a ball of pink in her mouth.

"In that case, why not come over to my place for a scary movie or something?" Joey said jokingly.

"Sounds like fun. Though the scary part of the movie I could do without," Risa answered without thinking first. "I could use something like that."

Joey was taken aback by her answer, but did not want to tell her it was just a joke. "Alright then, how about a good comedy?" he suggested.

"Sounds perfect," she agreed with a smile.

"Great," Joey said pumping his fist. "But for right now, let's go check out some of the games and I'll see if I can't win you something." He led her over to where there were games such as ring tossing, ball throwing, balloon popping with darts. But the one that Joey HAD to try was the fishing game.

"Um, Joey, are you sure this is the one you want to do?" Risa asked raising an eyebrow as he dropped a fish again.

"Yep, and I'll get you a good prize," he replied determinedly.

"Uh...okay. I'll just go play some darts while you're at that," she replied before going over to the game.

She came back about fifteen minutes later having won a few cheap dime store prizes and saw that Joey was still going at it. He was so concentrated Risa was worried his head might explode.

"Almost…. Got it," Joey groaned, carefully lifting the fish out of the water. It gave a little flop, tearing the net and landing back into the water. "Stupid fish!" Joey shouted. "Just sit still and let me catch you!"

"You're still at it?" Risa asked in exasperation. "Joey, give it up already, you're going to go broke if you don't."

"No, I'll get it...just one more try," he replied perspiration sliding down his forehead.

She didn't stop him but decided to watch this last time. He paid for another net and carefully but quickly slid the net underneath the fish he wanted and pulled it up. Slowly, and carefully, he pulled the fish up out of the water. Risa watched, not daring to speak or do anything to break his concentration. Just when she thought he had gotten it.

"YOUR MOVE!"

"Gah!" Joey shouted as his cell phone went off causing him to drop the fish. "I'm gonna kill whoever called at such a crucial moment of my life!" Joey growled, reaching into his pocket and opening his phone. "Hello? Huh, Yugi? What's the matter? Wha…. Kairi and Ryou? Yeah, uh huh, we'll be right there."

"What's wrong, Joey?" Risa asked feeling her stomach drop.

"Looks like Kairi showed up at Yugi's just now, and she had Ryou with her," Joey explained after he'd hung up. "He doesn't look too good, and Kairi isn't exactly at her best."

_"No...Bakura managed to get to her, even with Kaiba being the overprotective older brother,"_ she guessed in her mind. "Joey, let's go see if they're okay," she murmured to him worriedly.

"Sure thing," Joey agreed leading the way out of the park. "Man, what a time. I promise I'll win you something later, next chance I get."

"Thanks, Joey," Risa said appreciatively, all the while hoping her friends would be alright.

She stared at the ground as they walked toward the Mottou Game Shop and didn't say a word to Joey. He watched her the whole way and could tell just how worried she was, so to try to help her out, he stopped and pulled her head into his shoulder.

"They're going to be okay," he murmured holding her in a tight embrace. "Yugi and Atem won't let anything happen to them, and neither will the rest of us, I promise."

Risa was surprised by his sudden action, but the warmth and shield he provided calmed her down and she felt peaceful. His scent of popcorn, sweat, and water filled her nose and she smiled happily into his shoulder. This all came to a halt, however, when she felt her neck suddenly start burning. She jumped back in surprise realizing where her unbridled thoughts were going and remembered Marik's warning.

"Thanks, Joey, but we should really be getting there now," she said quickly to get his mind off her sudden rejection.

* * *

When they got there, Risa was rather surprised to find that everyone was there, even Kairi who was kneeling by the couch where a sleeping Ryou lay.

"What's going on?" Risa asked the group who were gathered in the kitchen.

"Nothing good," Tristan told her up front.

"She just brought Ryou in like that and hasn't spoken a word to anyone since," Tea divulged.

"Ryou's sleeping? It's the middle of the day," Risa muttered surprised. _"I wonder if it has anything to do with his counterpart,"_ she questioned herself. "Are you doing alright Kairi?" she asked coming up to her friend. She went to pat her on the back but before she could get close enough the mark on her neck burned heavily and she stopped to keep herself from acknowledging it.

"Mm…" Kairi mumbled in answer.

"This is so weird… she never acts like this," Joey said rubbing his neck once they had all moved into the other room.

"Well, considering the circumstances, I'd say she deserves to be worried," Yugi said. "Atem tried talking to her to find out exactly what happened, but... well, as of now we can only guess."

"So then I take it everyone's filled in about what's going on?" Risa said, dread lining her tone.

"We know that the two biggest freak shows are back on the planet, that they killed those two guys at school, and that it has something to do with you and Kairi," Tristan said.

"Yeah, I wish I could explain more than that...but that's pretty much all I know too," Risa told them with a sigh.

"How is this even possible though? I mean, Atem is a spirit, how did he manage to get his own body?" Tea asked out loud.

"And Marik isn't even his own person," Yugi added.

"I wish I knew," Atem said forlornly. "It's quite possible that Kairi knows but is unwilling to say anything in fear for our safety."

_"Unfortunately, it's a mix of both of our faults...but there's no possible way of telling them that without coming off as being a moron,"_ Risa thought sadly. "So, does Kaiba know she's here?" she finally managed to ask them.

They all stood silent for several moments.

Risa shrugged her shoulders in response as Kairi continued to sit where she was unmoving. Then she glanced up and spotted the one person she really didn't want to see standing at the only window within her sight but out of the others.

"Great what does he want?" Risa muttered under her breath as her neck began to burn again. "Hey guys…I think I'm going to go outside for a bit….it's getting pretty stuffy in here with it so crowded. Let me know when Ryou wakes up, okay?" With that she walked out the door and into the fresh air. _"Ah…I can breath," _she thought the moment she had left the shop.

Her relief didn't last for long, however. She felt fingers enclose around her throat and her air passage was momentarily cut off as she was dragged forcefully into the shadows.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself rather well, my pet."

Risa clenched her teeth in anger and frustration but didn't fight back. "What do you want from me?" Risa gasped glaring at him as best as she could.

"Nothing more or less than…" Marik whispered into her ear as his hand traced along the mark on her neck.

"Heck no!" Risa exclaimed. "There's no way. That's not something I could plausibly do without getting caught so how do you even expect me to pull that off?"

"Your job isn't to ask questions," Marik said, taking a hold of her throat warningly with one hand while pulling the neck of her shirt down with the other hand. "Your duty is to do as I say, otherwise I'll be forced to punish you."

"I can't steal from my own friends, I won't do it," Risa said determinedly. "I won't betray their trust."

"I can see that you still need some discipline," Marik muttered shoving her up against the wall. He reached into his pocket with his free hand, as Risa struggled against his grip, and he pulled out a card. "Tribute Burial."

A giant hand appeared behind her and wrapped its large fingers around her body before beginning to pull her down, underneath the ground. "Wh-what?!" Risa exclaimed seeing the hand. "Woah, this is...this is not..." Her voice grew more cracked and frightened the farther in the ground she went and she could see Marik watching her with his amused smirk. "A-alright, I'll do it! Just let me up!"

"What was that? I don't think I heard you clearly," Marik said.

"I said I'll do it!" Risa shouted. "P-PLEASE!"

He seemed satisfied because he reached down, grabbing her forearm and dragging her back up until she was out of the ground and back on her feet again. Her whole body was shaking, and she thought her knees would fold at any moment.

Marik leaned down and gave the mark he had left a small lick. "When you're done come find me…I'll be eagerly awaiting your return."

He left with only a few strokes down her cheek and neck leaving Risa standing in the darkness alone and breathing heavily. After a minute or two Risa reentered the store with a hand to her head.

"Hey Risa are you alright?" Joey asked watching her stumble inside.

"Oooh…I really don't feel so good," Risa muttered blinking her eyes quickly to clear them of fog.

"Maybe you should lie down. Here I'll clear a space on the floor, since Ryou already has the couch," Joey offered grabbing her gently by the arm and leading her into the living room.

"It might be a good idea if she doesn't go home in that state," Atem agreed worriedly. "If you'd like to stay as well Kairi you're more than welcome."

Kairi was silent for several long moments until she said finally, "I'll stay until Ryou wakes up."

Atem stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know that if anything is troubling you, you can talk to me about it. Though we haven't known each other long, any friend of Yugi's, I consider my own."

"Thanks," she replied, though her voice was dull and hollow.

"No problems, Kairi, with us on the job this thing will be wrapped up in no time," Joey declared striking a pose. He glanced over at Risa who was lying on the floor for approval but slumped as he realized that Risa had already fallen asleep.

"Well, I guess it is getting late," Tea muttered looking at her watch. "I'd best be getting home."

"Yeah, same here," Tristan muttered. "Come on, Joey, we'd better let Risa's aunt know where she went or she'll start doing some sort of séance just to find her." Joey agreed and the two left with Tea close behind them.

"Oh, Kairi, I suppose we should get a hold of your guardian so he doesn't worry," Mr. Motto said walking up behind Yugi and Atem. "If you wouldn't mind giving me a number to reach him by I would really appreciate it."

"You'll never reach him through your phone without going through ten other lines," Kairi said, a faint smile passing over her lips for the first time since she got there and the entire room seemed a little brighter somehow. She pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Yugi's grandfather. "He's on my first speed dial. If he asks for me, tell him I'm already in bed. If he stills asks for me, then just tell him I don't feel up to talking. If that doesn't work… remind him that I know things about his personal life that he doesn't want known publicly."

Yugi, Grandpa, and Atem all sweat-dropped at this. What could she POSSIBLY have over THE Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corporations?

They decided not to ask and Grandpa called Kaiba, which took about 20 minutes in itself as he wouldn't listen to Grandpa for half of the time and it ended with the CEO hanging up.

"I wonder how she can put up with such a person who never listens to anyone," Grandpa muttered to himself. "Must be one of those Seven Wonders of the World."

After the phone call was made, Grandpa, Yugi and Atem retired to their rooms. "First Kairi comes in with an injured Ryou, and now Risa's not feeling well. I hope we figure this out soon," Yugi said as he climbed into his bed.

"Until they are ready to be open with us, there is not much help we can give them," Atem replied sitting down next to the window.

"They'll tell us when they're ready. They are our friends after all," Yugi said.

"Let's hope so," Atem said.

* * *

Risa waited until the house became quiet and she went to the front room where Kairi still sat wide awake. "Kairi? I'm sorry but I really need your help."

Kairi looked up at her. Risa's pleading tone must have reawakened something because her eyes were much more alert. "What's wrong?"

"I've been given an order from Marik...but I can't do it on my own," Risa explained nervously. "And I just know that if I fail...Joey and Malik will pay for it."

Kairi nodded in understanding. There was no need for questioning. She knew exactly what was going through her friend's mind, because she was in the exact same boat. Why not tell Atem and Yugi? Well, the moment they did, _they _would know and someone would be hurt or worse. They couldn't refuse, for the very same reason.

"How can I help?"

"Well...I have to take Yugi's puzzle," Risa started. "If he has it, it should be fairly easy, but I can't figure out how to get past Atem without him noticing...so could you keep him busy for a few minutes?"

Kairi's lips tightened together but she nodded and wordlessly stood up before dashing up the stairs. Once there she headed down the short hallway until she came to Yugi's room. She quietly opened the door to see Yugi sleeping on his bed and Atem sitting next to the window, clearly wide awake. He was aware of her presence as soon as she walked through the door, maybe even long before that.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Kairi spoke quietly so as not to wake Yugi. "But... can we talk for a bit?"

He looked over at her and got to his feet. "Of course," he murmured kindly walking over to her. "What's bothering you?"

"I just... can we take this somewhere more private? I don't want to accidentally disturb him," Kairi said, nodding over at the sleeping boy who stirred a little.

Atem nodded and the two of them left the room and headed down the hall a little ways. "So, what is it?" he asked again.

Kairi turned towards him and bent at the waist. "I'm really sorry. I know that this is all mostly my fault. You warned me to be careful but I didn't listen. And now all this is happening." The more she spoke the higher and quicker her voice became.

"Just calm down," Atem said awkwardly. "You're being too hard on yourself...this really isn't your fault."

"Yes is it... because of me everyone is being bothered with all of this," Kairi said, covering half her face with her hand as she straightened a little. "And because of me someone died. I'm as good as a murderer."

Atem gently but firmly took a hold of her arms. "You're not a murderer. None of what has happened is your fault. I should have done more to help in the beginning...but I didn't. The only ones to blame are Bakura and Marik, not you and not Risa either."

Just then there was a loud thud that emitted from the room they just left. "Yugi!" Atem said in a panicked whisper. He told Kairi to stay there before dashing back to Yugi's room.

Kairi, however, didn't do as he said. Instead she went back downstairs. She passed through the living room to leave but was stopped by the sound of shuffling on the couch. Turning around she saw that Ryou had woken up and was staring at her curiously.

"Kairi…where are you…" he started to ask but stopped as Kairi placed a finger over his mouth.

"Go back to sleep Ryou…you need the rest," Kairi told him quietly

"Kairi, what's going on?" he asked weakly.

"Everything's fine," she lied. "Now go back to sleep."

He reluctantly closed his eyes and almost immediately fell back asleep. As soon as Kairi was sure he was asleep again she quickly left the Moutto shop and ran as fast as she could. She didn't think she would be able to keep the guilt from her face when they discovered what had happened. Atem would know she had a hand in it. She ran and ran until it felt like her lungs might pop.

* * *

"I hope this works," Risa thought as she placed a hand over the Millennium puzzle and gently pulled it out of Yugi's hands. As she turned around to leave, she bumped his bed and woke him up.

"Uh...Risa? What are you doing up here?" he asked rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked over at her and spotted the puzzle in her hands. "What are you...?"

Risa didn't wait for him to finish as her hand landed on the back of his neck and he collapsed, slipping off his bed with a thump. She stared at him in surprise at what she had done and jumped when she heard the sound of rushing footsteps.

"Oh no," she thought and quickly leapt out the window just as the door to the room opened.

"Yugi! Yugi, are you alright?" Atem's voice sounded. Risa could hear him run into the room and lift him off the floor.

"Uh...the puzzle..." Yugi mumbled through the fog.

Tears threatened to break free as she heard this and she bit back the desire to go see them. She knew she couldn't stop herself from finishing Marik's request so she quickly left her spot from underneath the window. "I'm sorry, Yugi…I hope you'll forgive me one day," she thought sadly as she disappeared down the street.

She wasn't sure where it was she was supposed to go but she kept getting directions from Marik until she reached the spot. When the directions stopped Risa took a quick look around finding herself in an abandoned warehouse.

"Figures he'd want to meet in a creepy place like this," she thought to herself as the hairs on her neck stood on end.

"You did a wonderful job," a deep cold voice said from behind her. "I don't think the Pharaoh would ever think you'd pull a stunt like that."

"You're probably right…and I don't plan to do it ever again" Risa shot back angrily. "What do you want with the Millennium puzzle anyway? I thought you already tried that bit and failed."

"Things are different this time around," Marik told her, taking the puzzle from her as easily as taking a cookie from a toddler. "For starters, I have my own body. And secondly, I have you to do with as I wish, my dear."

"Forget it…I don't know how you got me to go through with this little scheme but it won't happen again," Risa declared feeling the tears at the edges of her eyes. "I refuse to be used by you to get to my friends. I'm putting a stop to this here and now." With that she turned on her heel and marched toward the door she had entered.

"That's where you're wrong, pet," Marik said from behind her.

She ignored him and continued walking, but suddenly she felt a cold sweep over her as if someone doused her with icy water and she saw to her confusion and horror several spirits circling her. She tried to run, but there was no escape. One by one, each plunged itself through her chest, each one a sub zero knife stabbing its way through her body. She felt something inside of her shatter and she fell to her knees.

"What?" she thought before she felt her will power shatter.

She fell to her knees and stared at the ground unable to get up the desire she needed to leave much less move. Then Marik walked up right behind her and pulled her to her feet. He placed one hand around her waist to keep her up and the other went up and down her cheeks.

"This is only one of the many things that I can do to you on a whim," Marik whispered venomously into her ear. "Your will is shattered and until I release it you are completely under my command."

Risa shuddered at his touch but other than that she could do nothing. Her body didn't want to do anything to fight him. She breathed heavily as Marik's hand traced her neck line and moved over her face tracing her lips as well.

Then, once more his fingers were entwined in her hair and he bent her head back without any resistance. Risa gave a choked gasp as she once again felt his teeth on her neck, not even bothering to be gentle. He attacked her neck, her shoulders, her collar bone. And in the back of her mind, Risa registered a sick pleasure that her body was getting from this unknown attention. She released a breathy moan and felt Marik smirk against her skin that did nothing to calm her body or her nerves.

He kept up his attack for a few more minutes before finally releasing her with a satisfied grin. Risa collapsed to the ground with a sore neck from her head being wrenched backward and from Marik's relentless attack. She took several deep breaths and felt her ability to move slowly returning much to her relief.

"Maybe now you'll see that nothing you can do will keep me from my goals," Marik said with a smirk. "Until next time…maybe then I'll let you stay with me." He left moments later as the tears finally burst from Risa's eyes.

"I can't do this…I have to keep Marik from using me to get to Yugi and the others," she whimpered. "I have to get out of here….I have to leave and I don't think I'll be coming back. Not for a long time."

* * *

Bakura heard the door open and turned to see Marik walking through it with the Millennium puzzle in hand. "You seem to be having some difficulties controlling your little pet," Bakura told the tomb keeper with a derisive smirk.

"Hmm…I have no problems at all. She merely needs to be broken. Otherwise it is quite easy to get into her mind and twist it to my will," Marik replied. "After all I just finished having her deliver the Millennium puzzle to me. I doubt you could do any better with your slave."

"Hmph, but your pet needed help from my light to pull it off," Bakura pointed out.

"All because the Pharaoh was present," Marik replied harshly. "I doubt your slave could top what mine has done."

"You're on," Bakura declared grinning widely. "We'll just see whose control is more complete."

* * *

Kairi wasn't even sure what direction she was running in. All she knew was her body didn't want to stop. Its desires were disappointed when out of nowhere two hands grabbed a strong hold of her, ceasing her running and pulling her into a dark corner. Her first instinct was to scream, but one of her captor's hands covered her mouth, muffling all sound. She began to struggle, trying to break free, her mind in panic. But the hands were well-trained, and they held her well and tight. It wasn't until she heard an amused, and agonizingly familiar voice that she was able to calm down... somewhat.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, my little light?" he asked amusedly. He removed his hand from her mouth after making sure that she wouldn't scream.

"It's none of your business where I go," Kairi snapped after gulping a few breaths of much needed air.

"You seem to have forgotten that there is no place you can go in which I cannot follow," he reminded.

"As if I don't have enough to contend with," she muttered.

"Are you worried that they might know of your involvement in what Marik's pet has done?" he guessed.

"His... PET?" Kairi repeated. This statement caused anger to rise up inside of her. "She is no one's PET. Why the hell are you involving her in this?"

"She is just as much a part of this as you are," Bakura murmured. "You could almost say you both are a lock and a key to a door of something quite sacred."

"Like I care about any of that," she said crossly. "I'm going home."

"You're not going anywhere just yet," he stated firmly as he pulled her into his chest and held her tightly. "I have a job for you first."

"I'm not your servant," Kairi snapped.

"Such defiance," Bakura chuckled. "It makes you quite fetching, and will be all the more satisfying when I turn that defiance into obedience."

"Just leave me ALONE!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my little light." He turned her around to face him, keeping his hold tight. Kairi refused to back down, not wanting to give him that satisfaction. "It's a simple task, really. What I want from you is…." He leaned down and whispered a few words in her ear.

Kairi's eyes widened and she shoved him away. "If you think I would do something like that, you're out of your mind."

Bakura merely chuckled. "I guess your feelings for your guardian and his little brother are just for show then, as your failure will cause them to pay the price."

"I won't give you the chance to lay a finger on them," Kairi said balling her fists up, looking as though she was ready for a fight. She would fight him here and now if that's what it took. She would not betray her only family. "I will not do as you say."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter," he said furtively. He then pulled a small card out of his pocket and said its name, "Change of Heart."

* * *

CM: What is it that Bakura wants Kairi to do? And where will Risa go? Find out next time!


	11. Hittin' the ol' dusty trail

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Hittin' the ol' dusty trail

"Yugi, are you alright?" Atem asked the boy in his arms, concern written all over his usually placid face.

"Y-yeah, I... ow..." Yugi winced as he moved a little too quickly in his attempts to get back on his feet. "I'll be fine, she just stunned me."

Atem sighed. "This is much worse than I could have imagined."

"Atem, what's going on?" Yugi asked finally managing to get stable and on his feet. "Why would Risa do something like that?"

"I'm afraid that Marik might have obtained more control over Risa than I realized," Atem answered. "He's probably found the easiest way to force her to do what he wants and is using it to his advantage."

"You don't think Bakura got that close to Kairi too do you?" Yugi asked suddenly extremely worried.

"I think he has," Atem muttered. "We'd better check on her though...just in case." With that he led the way downstairs, with Yugi close on his heels.

Half way down the stairs, they heard the front door slam open and angry footsteps followed by a strangled cry.

"Where is she?" a harsh voice demanded.

"Where's... wh-what?" a weak, disoriented voice answered.

"Where is Kairi?" the voice repeated.

"Kairi...I-I thought she went home," the second voice answered worriedly.

"Kaiba, Ryou is in no condition to deal with your anger," Atem stated when he and Yugi made it to the living room.

Kaiba was gripping the front of Ryou's shirt, keeping him half suspended over the couch he had been resting on.

"He can recuperate in jail if necessary," Kaiba answered, dropping the white haired boy. When he turned to face them, he stopped. Seeing the two Yugi's, was no doubt, a shock to his already agitated psyche. "I was in the middle of a meeting when you called."

"Kaiba, we need to talk," Atem stated. "And this time you must listen."

"I don't have the patience to listen to your magic mumbojumbo," Kaiba declared staring at the two Yugi's. "I thought you had this whole twin thing worked out."

"We're not twins," Yugi stated. "I'm me, and this is the pharaoh Atem. Somehow he was able to get his own body. And so have Bakura and Marik, and they're plotting something and from what we've seen Risa and Kairi are smack dab in the middle of it." Yugi had to stop to pant a little.

"I'm afraid that last part might have been my fault," Ryou stated. "I'm sorry to say I was unable to control the spirit of the Millennium ring."

"No, Ryou," Atem cut in. "There's nothing you could have done. Sooner or later, Bakura would have had his way."

"None of this tells me where my charge is," Kaiba muttered. "You said she was here, but I fail to see her at the moment."

"Well, you see... they were here, Risa and Kairi I mean, but we think Marik might have used Risa to steal the Millenium puzzle," Yugi explained shamefaced.

"And it's quite possible Kairi also had a hand in it," Atem finished.

"She's not a thief," Ryou automatically blurted out.

The pharaoh shook his head. "No, but possibly an accessory to one, since she disappeared shortly after."

"She's gone? What was that about her being safe here?" Kaiba demanded. "You all are completely useless."

"You didn't exactly help her cause either when you chose not to listen to her and ignore the signs that something was clearly wrong," Atem pointed out. "All you did was exactly what Bakura wanted you to do; push her into thinking that her home was nothing more than a prison."

"Could we please stop arguing and figure out what we're going to do about the situation?" Ryou piped up before the CEO had a chance to reply.

Kaiba glared at the weakened boy but didn't respond as his phone went off at that moment. "This had better be important," he growled dangerously.

"Uh...Mr. Kaiba...someone has just broken into Kaiba Corp. The cameras have all gone offline on the first two floors and we can't seem to find the perpetrator."

"What!?" Kaiba exclaimed. "Do everything you can to make sure they don't escape." He was gripping his phone so tightly it snapped in half causing both Ryou and Yugi to sweat drop. "It's just one thing after another," Seto muttered, turning on his heels.

"Wait, where are you going?" Ryou exclaimed.

"I have a company to run, I don't have time to play with you," he retorted as he slammed the door behind him.

Ryou's hands clenched at his sides in anger, but the tension drained out when he felt Atem's hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we're going to find them," the pharaoh assured him. "Yugi, please call the others and let them know what's going on immediately."

"Right!" Yugi said before running off to alert everyone.

* * *

"Thank goodness you're here, Mr. Kaiba," one of the security personnel said, as he and several others approached to angry CEO.

"Was the intruder apprehended?" Kaiba demanded.

"No, sir... they escaped, along with the latest program Kaiba corp. has been working on for months."

"What?!" Kaiba shouted. "How many incompetent idiots do I have working here? Get me the security tape. I'm going to find this intruder myself."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba. There isn't much though. The cameras were all damaged along the path the intruder took. We can't tell who it was," the guard said leading Kaiba into the security room.

Kaiba scanned the many viewing screens, each showing a different video. He spotted one in particular and pointed to the screen. "Play that one back."

"Yes, sir." The tape rewound a bit and then played back.

Kaiba watched the tape until it reached the part he was looking for. "Stop it right there."

The image that was frozen on the screen was that of the face of a young dark haired girl. "Sir...is that?"

"It is...get the police on the phone...we're getting my program back."

* * *

Kairi's eyes slid open and she squinted at the stream of dawn that was shining in her eyes coming through a window. She sat up and rubbed her throbbing head. For some reason, several random places on her body hurt, her knuckles in particular. She glanced around and suddenly she was wide awake when she realized that she was no longer in the Moutto residence, but a place unknown to her. She was lying on a soft, leather couch in what looked like the sitting room of an apartment.

How did she get here? And just where was here?

"You're finally awake," a cold voice greeted her alerting her to her surroundings. "I must say that I'm very impressed with your handy work."

Kairi looked around until she spotted Bakura sitting on a sofa chair in the shadows with a large grin on his face. "Where am I? What do you mean my handy work?" Kairi asked dreading the answer.

"You are in my home," Bakura answered. "Why not see the results of your efforts first hand?" He picked up a remote and pressed a button that turned on a TV that Kairi just now noticed. The moment the TV flickered on it showed what looked to be a crime report.

"In other news, the Kaiba Corporation was broken into last night by a mysterious female character whose whereabouts are still unknown." The screen switched to a video footage of a girl fighting off several security guards and well as maneuvering her way through several defenses.

Kairi gaped when she caught a glimpse of the criminal's face and recognized it to be her very own.

Seto Kaiba appeared upon the screen looking thoroughly ticked off.

"I want her to be found and brought here dead or alive. Make sure that the item she stole is undamaged," Seto growled into the camera. "As the owner of Kaiba Corporation, I don't take kindly to thieves in my company."

Then Bakura switched it off and glanced over at Kairi to see her reaction to the news.

Kairi stared numbly at the TV screen. _"This can't be happening,"_ she thought. _"It can't…. I would never… not from Seto."_ Then her thoughts turned to panic. _"He thinks I betrayed him. He's going to be after me now. I'll never be able to go back home."_

"You seemed distressed, my little light," Bakura commented striding over to her side. He took one of her bruised and throbbing knuckles and kissed it tenderly, running his tongue over the sore spots. "You performed better than I would have ever expected."

Tears stung Kairi's eyes and she ripped her hand out of his grasp. "You… you…" there was no word in existence that could convey how much she detested him at that very moment. "You ruined my life!"

She drew back her hand to slap him but he caught her wrist and in a split second he was on top of her on the couch with her hands pinned above her head and his knees straddling her hips.

"I would have thought I had made it clear to you by now. I AM your life."

Kairi glared up at him angrily. "Bite me!"

"My pleasure," Bakura replied with a smirk.

Almost immediately he bent his head and started nibbling on her ear and she tried to fight back but the sensation of his mouth and breath on her ear and neck sent shivers of pleasure through her. Kairi grit her teeth trying to fight off the feeling of lust and want that was rising within her.

"Long ago, I made you the promise that no other man shall have you," Bakura said, letting up just a little to give her a small reprieve. "And I intend to follow through with that promise."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi demanded. "I've never met you before in my entire life."

"You may not remember, but in the past you willingly gave me everything," Bakura whispered suggestively. "You even went so far as to ensure my return in more ways than one." As he spoke, one of his hands rested on her stomach.

"You're insane," Kairi whispered, cringing beneath his touch combined with the implications of his words.

"Of course it was not in this lifetime," Bakura chuckled, his hand sliding beneath her shirt, causing her to squirm in further discomfort. "It was in your past life, when you were known throughout Egypt as Princess Akana, sister to the great Pharaoh."

Kairi felt the wind leave her lungs. "What? A... princess?"

"Yes, and in some ways, you are still royalty," Bakura chuckled. "It wasn't coincidence that brought you and Seto Kaiba under the same roof, after all."

"Even if what you say is true, I'm me, no one else!" Kairi shouted, trying once more to get him off her. "The past has nothing to do with me!"

"It has more importance than even the Pharaoh realizes," Bakura replied mysteriously as he watched her futile efforts to throw him off. "And I plan to do whatever it takes to show you the things you failed to remember in your reincarnation."

She felt his hands leave her wrists and she was about to use this to shove him off of her. However, Bakura had decided to use that moment explore areas of her body he hadn't before. His hands ran over her body, deliberately and thoroughly as though he was attempting to memorized each contour of her body. Kairi squirmed beneath his wandering hands, both relishing and detesting the feel of them on her.

Her hands found his chest and she was about to attempt to use what strength she had to shove him away, but the feel of his lean body beneath her fingertips sparked curiosity within her and soon she found her own hands moving over him, pulling him closer to her so that he was crushing her body with his. His lips found hers and soon their tongues were battling for dominance, pushing against each other with demanding vehemence. Bakura growled into her mouth as a soft moan escaped her.

As she half reveled half fought against the feelings rushing through her she suddenly began seeing flashes of a time far in the past. First she saw herself in Egyptian garb running from Seto who looked like he was wearing a dress. Then she saw Risa in similar Egyptian garb with a big goofy grin. Then she saw herself and Bakura meeting in secret with him wearing only some shorts and a jacket, and had a large scar on the left side of his face. Then her sight returned to the Bakura above her smiling as he stared down at her having pulled back.

"Looks like you're finally beginning to remember," Bakura stated with a smile. He then got up and walked to the door. "Just a little longer and you'll completely understand."

"What makes you thing I WANT to understand?" Kairi shot back, getting up from the couch, her face red.

"You'll see… in time," Bakura chuckled. "I have to run an errand, but when I return, we can continue where we left off."

"Hold it!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed. "Just what was it that you made me take from Seto?"

"You already know what was taken... just remember," Bakura told her before walking out the door and locking it behind him.

As Kairi heard the sound of his footsteps fade away she was sickened by a sudden powerful yearning for his return that swept through her. So this was the bottom line. She was drawn to him, whether she wanted to be or not. There was no getting around that. And no matter how she looked at it, what he was offering her was an easy way out of what was turning out to be a pointless fight against what couldn't be fought. The closer she got to him, the more she felt she was losing herself, yet it was almost agony being away from him. She couldn't go home, and she definitely couldn't stay here. Well… she could, but it wouldn't help her or her cause.

_"That settles it then…"_ she thought. She had to get away. Away from this city, away from him, away from everything she had ever cared for or loved.

Kairi got up and began looking around the room trying to find a way out. Then when nothing stuck out to her she searched her pockets looking for anything that might be useful. Her cell phone was gone. Strangely so was her deck of cards. Even her good luck charm had been taken.

"Rrgh… curse him," Kairi muttered.

She searched all over the room but could not find anything. Then she went to the door that looked as if it lead to the bedroom. She was a couple feet away from the doorway when she felt the sensation of walking headlong into a solid wall and she fell backwards.

"What the heck?" She mumbled out loud as she slowly got up, trying to shake the aches and pains off.

Kairi got off the ground and approached the door slowly before touching something solid about a foot in front of it. Upon closer inspection she spotted what looked like a large circle that stretched all around the edges of the room.

"This reminds me of a duel monsters card," she thought. "There's no way though…it couldn't possibly be the spell binding circle…could it?"

She tried to think back and she remembered the previous night and her run-in with Bakura. How she had been about to fight him, only to have him hold a card up to her face. And then all was blank until she woke up this morning.

"Well if it is then there might be only one way to get past it…use a duel monsters card of my own. Except I don't have any magic..." Or did she? She reached into her back pocket but stopped as she remembered that Bakura had taken them all. "All except the one Risa gave me," she thought bending down and pulling off her left shoe.

Inside she found an old card that she never used in an actual duel…Trapmaster. Why did she keep it in her shoe? Even she didn't know. Pulling it out she decided she'd give it a shot and said its name out loud while pointing its face at the door. Moments later the Trapmaster himself emerged, much to Kairi's surprise, and completely removed the trap from the doorway before disappearing.

Kairi decided not to ponder what happened –compared to the strange things happening to her lately this was a drop in the bucket- but instead went through the doorway and began searching for her stuff. The house she was in wasn't that large but she didn't know how much time she'd have so she made haste. At the end of the hallway she found a door that wasn't locked and had recent indents in the dusty floor. Taking a deep breath she reached forward and pushed open the door.

When she entered the room, a breath of cool air met her. Kairi guessed that this room did not get ventilated often. Bakura's sweet musk filled her nostrils and it felt like a breath of fresh air. Ignoring the tight knot in her chest, she looked around the room, looking for a place to start her search.

She began at a chest of drawers that was the only bit of furniture in the small room. In the top center drawer she found her deck and her cell phone and her lucky charm was sitting neatly on top of the deck. She happily picked them up and left the room before heading for the exit.

Kairi quickly went through the door and headed down the street unsure of where she was or where she was going. She didn't even get two blocks away before the familiar sense of foreboding came to her and spun around to find Bakura standing only a few feet away.

"Running again, are we?"

"I'm getting out of here," Kairi replied curtly.

"And just where will you go?" Bakura was now staring down at her in amusement. "Your friends cannot save you, and your so called guardian has abandoned you."

"That may be but…" Kairi's fists clenched at her sides. "I refused to be a part of your games."

Bakura laughed. "Dear light, you were a part of this game before you were ever conceived."

"I'm not going back with you," Kairi stated firmly.

"That's where you're wrong," Bakura said his smile vanishing momentarily. "You're not leaving again."

"Watch me," Kairi said pulling out a card from her pocket. They were the only weapons she had on hand, and after seeing it work the first time, she prayed it would work again. "Maiden of the Moonlight!" An angel figure appeared in front of her and unleashed a burst of light that momentarily blinded Bakura. When the light died down, she was gone.

"It would seem that your so-called control over your light is not as powerful as you claimed Bakura," came the amused chuckle of Marik.

Bakura shot back, "You shouldn't be talking. After all, your pet left on the first flight to America." Marik glared at him but couldn't come up with anything to shoot back so he left. Bakura looked after Kairi's retreating back and whispered, "I'll see you in your dreams…my light."

* * *

"Any luck?" Tea asked as she, Tristan, Joey, Yugi, Atem, and Ryou met up on a street corner.

"Nope," Yugi said sadly.

"There has been no sign," Atem commented.

"You guys will not believe what I saw!" Tristan exclaimed. "I was driving down town when I saw a news broadcast from Kaiba. There's a warrant out for Kairi's arrest for Grand Theft."

"Auto?" Joey finished.

Tea wacked Joey on the head with her hand before asking Tristan, "You mean to say that Kaiba thinks she stole from him? That's not possible."

"Well according to the news, they have video proof that it's her. So unless she has a twin sister..." Tristan trailed off.

"So she could be anywhere by now," Yugi said.

"Hey guys... I'm gonna check Risa's house one more time, just in case," Joey told them.

"You want us to come with you?" Tristan asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Joey said with a wave before running off.

"I'm going to be off as well," Ryou stated who had been silent up until that point and ran off in the opposite direction.

"Guys!" Tea shouted at both of them before groaning. "Ugh, this is hopeless. We don't even know where to begin looking."

"We mustn't give up hope," Atem said placing a hand on her shoulder. "If nothing else, I don't think their lives are in any immediate danger. And they're both strong."

Tea smiled at him. "You're right. Let's keep looking."

* * *

When Joey arrived at Risa's house, it was once more still empty. "Well, guess I'm gonna hafta let myself in," he thought out loud before going to the bushes in front of the windows and dug around until he found what he was searching for.

Under one of the bush's thick roots was a spare house key that Risa only let specific people know about in case of emergencies. Joey figured this occasion qualified. He opened the door to the house and called out to see if anyone was there. No one called back so he began looking around. The first place he decided to look was the kitchen. One, because it was the closest room, and two, all this running around had his appetite worked up.

"I'm sure Risa's aunt won't mind if I help myself to a bologna sandwich," he convinced himself before going over to the fridge.

His hand was inches from the handle when something caught his eye. There was a sticky note of on the fridge. It couldn't have been from Risa's aunt, because she used Halloween themed sticky notes. He took the note off the fridge and read it.

_"Dear Aunty, I'm going away for awhile. I know this is short notice and I'm sorry for not telling you in person. But I really need some time away to figure things out. Don't worry, I'll be going to see my uncle so I'll be just fine. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you. ~Risa."_

"She going to see her uncle?" Joey murmured in confusion. "Does she mean Pegasus? What could she possibly need over there?" He took another look at the note and saw a PS.

_"Oh, and don't tell Joey or the others where I'm going...I doubt they'd understand."_

"Of all the," Joey started turning to leave when his foot hit something sending it skidding across the floor. He went over, picking it up, and saw that it was Risa's wallet holding both her money and her I.D. "She ain't going nowhere without this. Guess I better get it back to her." And with that he charged out of the house and into the rising sun.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey, uncle? I really need to see you. Can I come visit you? Right now?" Risa kept glancing around, paranoid that something was going to pop out at her.

"You sound troubled. Is there something wrong with my dear little niece?" His bubbly voice said from over the phone.

"I'll tell you all about it when I get there. Let's just say it has to do with the current news that's been running through Domino City."

There was a pause. "Very well. You can use one of my private planes. I'll contact them and let them know you're coming. Just be sure you have some sort of ID."

"Got it, thanks uncle," Risa said hanging the phone.

She was standing in front of the airport in the wee hours of the morning having just left a note for her aunt not to worry so she wouldn't do anything weird. She had a small pack on her back that held the clothes she'd be wearing for the next few days. After a few minutes of checking and rechecking that Marik was nowhere to be found, she quickly entered the airport and made her way to where he uncle's private plane was sitting.

"This plane is reserved for Risa Pavan. No one other than her may enter," one of the guards stated stopping her in front of the boarding door.

"I am Risa Pavan," Risa told them reaching into her bag for her ID. Her hand entered her bag but for some reason she couldn't find it. She looked up at the guards and started pleading with them to let her on and that she really was Risa, but they refused to let her on.

"Hey, Risa, you dropped this," a friendly voice said from behind.

Risa spun around and found the smiling face of Joey Wheeler coming toward her with her wallet in his hand. "My wallet…where did you find this Joey?" Risa asked taking it from him.

"Well, I went to your place earlier looking for you, and found your wallet lying on the floor...along with your note on the fridge," Joey explained. "Now I got a couple questions of my own. Why are you running off like this? We've been up all night trying to find you."

"How did you even know I was gone?" Risa asked him.

"Well, in the middle of the night I got a call from Atem telling me that you had swiped the puzzle and knocked Yugi out in the process. We've been searching for you and Kairi ever since."

Risa shook her head trying to figure out why he would go through the trouble of looking for her...without the police. "Well thanks for my wallet Joey but I'm going to leave," Risa told him turning back to the guards.

"Not without me you're not," Joey declared.

"Look, Joey, it's not that I don't appreciate your help but I can't let you come with me. There's no telling what might happen if you stick with me for too long," Risa tried to explain.

"I don't care what happens to me! You're my friend Risa, and friends stick together," Joey declared. "I'm coming with you and that's that."

"What about what I did to Yugi? Aren't you upset about that?" Risa demanded.

"Knowing you, you probably had a good reason," Joey said. "And Yugi ain't mad. We all know you guys are going through a rough time right now. But come on, let us help ya!"

Risa opened her mouth to protest again but realized that arguing with Joey was like arguing with a wall…there was no way to win. "Fine," she muttered. She turned around and marched between the two guards showing them her ID as she went. When Joey tried to follow though they stopped him.

"This flight is reserved for Risa Pavan only," the guards repeated.

"It's okay, guys…he's with me," Risa muttered.

The guards looked at her and then grudgingly stepped aside. "So, Risa…are you really going to see your uncle?" Joey asked as they got on.

"Yes, I think he might be able to help us," Risa explained.

"Okay…is it Pegasus?"

"You'll see."

* * *

"I thought you might be here."

Kairi turned to see the innocent face of Ryou staring back at her. She had just been taking her last look at Domino City from her favorite hilltop. It was a quiet place where she and Ryou would hang out and play games.

"Are you trying out for a new look?" he asked, conversationally.

Kairi turned away from him. She knew she probably looked really different. Her long hair was pulled up in a ponytail and pinned back. She was wearing a dark tank top, tight black jeans, and a leather jacket. Not just that, her face and her eyes had taken a new edge to them. Kairi figured at this point, if she had this darkness inside of her she might as well use it. Whatever it took to solve her problems and get things back to the way they were before. If nothing else, it made blurring the lines of morality all too easy.

"Is there something you wanted?" She asked him in clipped tones. She barely even recognized her own voice.

Ryou winced at her words as if she had out right slapped him. "Are you going somewhere?"

"What's it to you?"

"I'm going with you," he stated.

"Don't be an idiot," Kairi snapped.

"I know it wasn't you who robbed Seto Kaiba," Ryou said suddenly.

"How can you be so sure?" Kairi asked incredulously.

"I know you, Kairi. You're not like that."

Kairi turned to look at him. Ryou, always kind and understanding. Always looking out for her. She couldn't get him involved in this. "Go home, Ryou," she said before turning to leave.

"I'm not letting you go alone, Kairi," Ryou told her determinedly. "I lived with him before; I know what he's like. I'm not about to let you go at this alone." She froze when she felt him take hold of her hand. "Kairi, please. I want to help. Even if you leave now, I'll follow you. I won't let him hurt you again."

Kairi stared at him and saw the sheer determination in his eyes. She sighed. "You better not slow me down." She walked over to the motorbike she had gotten for her birthday but had never used until now. Kairi got onto the front seat of the bike and tossed Ryou the helmet. "Well? Hurry up and get on."

Ryou didn't need telling twice. He jammed the helmet over his head before scrambling on the bike, seating himself behind her. "Just curious... where did you get this bike?"

"It was a gift from Seto... well, probably more from Moki for my birthday," she said. "I stopped by the house to pick it up. Figured it might make traveling easier."

She revved up the engine and with a roar the bike shot off, carrying the two down the road, leaving Domino city behind.

* * *

CM: Now that Risa and Kairi are leaving town, where will they go? And will they be able to escape the darkness's influence that easily? Stay tuned, and please review! AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!


	12. Finding Help in Strange Places

CHAPTER TWELVE: Finding Help in Strange Places

Risa was sitting in a large room feeling the warm sun on her face as it shone through the window. She inhaled the warm spicy scent of breakfast cooking in the kitchen below with great enjoyment. Her happiness was shattered, however, as a familiar feeling cut off her air and she glanced at the only door to see Marik standing there with his normal smirk.

Risa stood and went to the window keeping her eyes on Marik so as not to be caught off guard. Before she reached it Marik pulled a card out of his pocket and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly Risa felt herself being held in the air by what looked like a duel monster.

"You've been very naughty, my pet, running away like that," Marik said walking forward.

"I don't belong to you…I can do what I want and go where I want. I don't have to run anything by you first," Risa shot back glaring angrily at him.

"It seems that I've been too lenient with you," Marik said, reaching her. "No matter. Some lessons must be learned the hard way."

Risa could not keep the fear from her eyes when he snapped his fingers and the monster's hold disappeared only to be replaced by his own as he threw her to the ground and pinned both arms over her head holding her wrists together with one hand.

"I'll die again before I let you touch me! Take your hands off-" Risa was cut off with a sharp intake of breath as Marik crushed their lips together, forcing a knee between the girl's thighs.

"Now, now, this isn't just about you, my pet," Marik said removing his lips momentarily from hers. "Your little friend is just as much a part of all of this as you. She too will be taken care of when the time comes."

Risa forced back a moan as the knee between her legs ground against intimate places, turning her head away when Marik tried to kiss her again. Painfully heated lips instead descended to the red head's throat, a hot tongue trailing up cool skin to her jaw.

"You don't have any power over Kairi or any of my friends," Risa hissed in a voice laced with loathing at making her feel this way.

"It doesn't matter, you won't take the chance. No matter how you say it, their lives mean a great deal to you. Not only that, I have ways that would make you beg for death." Marik's breath was a mocking whisper of heat against the skin of Risa's neck and she shuddered.

"Perhaps I'd rather die than let you paw at me." Risa tried to jerk her arms free, but Marik was stronger and held her down easily. The violet-eyed darkness chuckled deeply, the sound vibrating in Risa's ears.

"Perhaps you'll enjoy it," he suggested.

Those darkly spoken words set Risa off, and she thrashed wildly beneath Marik. Malik's darkness had an unbreakable grip on her though, and no matter how violently she twisted and bucked underneath him, Risa eventually fell back, exhausted and panting roughly.

"Are you all done struggling?" Marik murmured in a silken voice, trailing his fingers down Risa's throat to trace her collarbone as the blonde creature turned her head away and lay there, trying to get her breath back.

"You'll pay..." The girl spat venomously.

"I love that look," Marik licked his lips, eyes half lidded with lust as he stared down at his little love slave. "Now, are you going to co-operate, or do I have to torture you until you can't move?"

"What are you planning?" Risa asked, fear once more rising in her stomach.

Marik grinned insanely "Giving you a mere taste of what's to become of your… maidenhood."

"Hey, Risa wake up," a calming voice sounded in her frightened ears.

Risa fought with everything she had to escape the hold that Marik had on her and finally managed to open her eyes. She looked over and saw Joey standing over her worry on his face.

"You okay? You were thrashing in your sleep," Joey told her worriedly.

"Yeah…it was just a nightmare," Risa replied taking deep steadying breaths.

"Well I thought you'd like to know that the plane is about to land," Joey told her.

"Thanks, Joey," Risa said as he took his seat and prepared for the descent.

Risa blinked her tired eyes as she had tried very hard not to fall asleep for the entire day that they were on the plane. Unfortunately she had fallen asleep as the day was coming to an end. The only happy part now was that she would soon speak with her uncle and possibly find a way to bring this whole thing to an end.

After the plane landed, Risa and Joey were met by Risa's uncle who welcomed them with open arms. "Risa…I'm so glad you could grace me with your presence. I see you brought a friend with you as well," Maximillian Pegasus greeted them cordially.

"It's great to see you again, Uncle Pegasus," Risa said giving him a hug. "I'm really glad you decided to see me on such short notice."

"Of course, anything for my favorite niece," Pegasus said smiling.

"Yeah right…I'm your only niece," Risa muttered.

"True, so let's head to my home so we can talk about whatever it was you wanted to speak to me about without any interruption," Pegasus said gesturing toward the enormous limo behind him.

Risa and Joey gladly hopped in with Pegasus and rode in luxury to the millionaire's estate. Once there Pegasus led them to his private room where they could have a private conversation.

"Alright, so explain to me what's going on and what you need my help with," Pegasus said looking over at Risa and Joey from across his desk.

Risa took that time to explain what really happened to the millennium items and what she and Kairi had seen during that time. Joey interrupted her, surprised about what she described and wondering why she didn't tell him before. She waited until he settled down before continuing explaining everything except the fact that Marik was after her, attacking her mentally in real life and in her dreams. Other than that she told them everything she knew.

"I see…so then why come see me if this has to do with Egyptian artifacts?" Pegasus asked once Risa finished.

"Because I know you went to Egypt a while back and I was hoping that you heard something that might give me a clue…possibly a legend about a light of some sort," Risa explained. "And I knew you had some knowledge of the millennium items."

"Well I do know a thing or two about the millennium items and I found one of them just the other day," Pegasus replied thoughtfully. "I was wondering how it managed to get in front of my house." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the millennium eye and handed it to Risa. "I would be most grateful if you would return that to the museum where it belongs." Risa nodded and put it away before Pegasus continued. "As for hearing any legends….I did hear about one that said something about Rah shedding seven tears that formed into some strange stones. I don't remember all of it but I'm sure it had something to do with a light."

Risa's eyes lit up at this prospect, "What happened to those tears that Rah shed?"

"Well I heard that they were deliberately scattered throughout the world," Pegasus told her sadly. "Though if I remember right I did manage to get a hold of a strangely shaped stone the last time I went traveling. I thought it was a neat piece so I took it home."

"Is it here?" Risa asked excitedly.

"It's been so long I don't remember where I put it…so I'm sure it is but I couldn't tell you where," Pegasus told her. "If you manage to find it, however, you are welcome to have it if you really want it."

"Thanks, Uncle Pegasus," Risa said rushing from the room. "Come on, Joey. Let's go stone hunting."

* * *

Kairi sat on a long couch with Ryou on her right. They were watching a movie and Ryou slowly moved his hand to where he was holding hers. He glanced over at her and smiled as she looked at him in surprise.

"I-I really like you, Kairi," he murmured nervously.

She smiled as well and leaned her head against his shoulder. All of a sudden she felt Ryou slide out from under her head and she looked up worriedly to find that he had been forced from the couch by none other than Bakura.

"I don't think you quite understand the fact that we are connected and no matter where you go I am never far behind," Bakura told her as he knocked Ryou on the head causing him to fall unconscious where he vanished.

Kairi merely glared at Bakura in annoyance.

"I certainly hope that dear Ryou isn't the cause of your continuing disobedience," Bakura said standing in front of her. "Because if so, then perhaps I should remove the problem."

"Don't tell me you're getting jealous," Kairi said and the corner of her mouth lifted in hilarity at the idea. A second later Bakura's hand was over her throat and he had slammed her up against the couch.

"Don't test me," Bakura whispered warningly.

Kairi stared up at Bakura, steel in her eyes. "Ryou's just a tag along, a nuisance. What I'm doing is my own decision. I don't see why you're feeling so threatened."

"It's not a matter of feeling threatened…it's more me not wanting to have to shorten your leash like Marik has toward your friend," Bakura explained. "I will, however, resort to that method if provoked enough."

Kairi's eyes flashed with a hint of worry at the mention of her friend. "Where is she?"

"That's not something you need to worry about," Bakura told her loosening his grip on her neck. "Know this…no matter where you go I will always be able to get to you…especially if you continue to travel with my former host. I could have easily forced you to return by now…the only reason that I haven't just yet is I find your attempt to elude me to be amusing."

"Figures," Kairi said with a tiny roll of her eyes. "Forgive me for not getting down on my knees in gratitude."

"As amusing as your sarcasm is," Bakura started grabbing her chin roughly with his hand, "I will not be spoken to in such a manner."

"You're the one who did this to me. You're the one who planted this dark seed in my heart. Am I not meeting your expectations?" she asked him spitefully.

"Oh you are…better than expected even, but you will treat ME with respect…as I hold your very life…and the lives of your friends in the palm of my hand," Bakura whispered dangerously.

Kairi felt a twinge of concern for her friends within her heart and she didn't open her mouth for another smart comment.

"That's better," Bakura murmured, his hand sliding from around her throat to grasp her at the nape of the neck with both hands and pulled her lips onto his.

Kairi did not even bother resisting. Doing so would just cost her much needed energy.

"Hey, Kairi..." a voice called out through the silence of the room pulling her from Bakura's lustful embrace. "Come on, Kairi, you need to get up."

Kairi opened her eyes and spotted Ryou looking excited about something. He smiled as she looked at him and grabbed her arm to pull her up.

"I didn't want to wake you because you looked really tired but you won't believe what I found," he continued joyfully.

"Calm down, Ryou," Kairi mumbled both grateful and a little perturbed to have been pulled out of the thief's grasp in such a manner. Kairi rose from her bed in the cheap motel room they had been staying in and went to wash her face in the sink. "What's this thing you've found?"

"It's a library, quite an extended one too for such a moderate sized town. And I think it might have the information we're looking for," Ryou explained with enthusiasm.

Kairi's lips twitched into a smile. "Alright. Just let me shower and dress and we'll go." Just before she entered the bathroom, she muttered, "Thanks, Ryou," and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"I can't believe it's so hard to find one large strangely shaped stone," Risa muttered scratching her head as darkness fell and the time was getting late. "I knew his place was big but this is ridiculous. Who knows how long this'll take."

"Are you going to give up?" Joey asked surprised.

"No…I just wish I had more to go one. I mean Uncle has so many strange things that one strange stone blends in quite easily," Risa replied rubbing her forehead.

"Why is it so important to find that stone?"

"Because Uncle said there were 7 stones right? Well my bracelet has seven slots in it…I'm assuming that the seven tears fit in here somehow," Risa explained pulling up her sleeve to emphasize what she was saying.

"Alright so we'll stay here as long as it takes to find it," Joey said patting her shoulder. "I'll help you find it no matter what." His arm went from her shoulder to her back and pulled her into his chest. "I'll always be here to help you. Just name it and I'll give you a hand."

Risa felt her heart flutter as her nostrils filled with his scent making her feel very warm and…safe. She didn't realize where her hands were until she noticed they were wrapped around his back

Suddenly she felt his hand firmly but gently beneath her chin lifting her face toward his. She stared up into his eyes and felt her breath taken away before their faces met with a passion she never knew. The moment she tasted his lips she knew what true longing for someone was and didn't want the moment to end. However, her enjoyment was interrupted by an eruption of pain coming from the mark on her neck that was still hidden from Joey's view.

Risa's lips slid off of his as she cringed violently and her hand flew to her neck out of sheer instinct.

"Uh, Risa…. Is something wrong?" Joey asked in worry.

"Eh… n-no…. nothing. Just cricked my neck is all," Risa said quickly. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or anything like that," Joey apologized, thinking perhaps he had tread where he should not have.

"No it…it wasn't you, Joey. I wish that…no never mind," Risa said turning toward the door.

"Risa, wait," Joey exclaimed quickly grabbing a hold of her left arm to keep her from leaving.

In doing so he grabbed the arm that had been bruised by Marik and his fingers put pressure in just the right places. Risa flinched at his grasp making Joey raise an eyebrow and he pushed her sleeve down to see what had made her flinch. There still slightly visible on her arm were the remnants of four large bruises…right where Joey's fingers were placed.

Joey's eyes widened at first, then they narrowed. "Who did this? Who's the slime ball who hurt you?"

"Nobody hurt me, it was an accident. I… hit it on something," Risa made up.

Joey wasn't buying it. Not for a second. "That's no bump mark. Risa…is someone hurting you? Please, you know you can tell me anything."

"It's nothing I can't handle, Joey," Risa told him firmly. "I know what I'm doing."

"I don't like seeing you get hurt," Joey told her, his mocha brown eyes staring deeply into hers. "Please, Risa, let me help you. I gotta know what's going on with you."

Risa forced her eyes shut. She wanted to tell him so badly, but another sharp throb on her neck prevented her from doing so. Manabu's dead face loomed in her mind's eye.

She took a deep breath, clenching her fists. "Joey, the personal things that happen in my life are none of your business." Then she pulled her arm out of his grasp and walked away, leaving him hurt and confused.

"I'm sorry, Joey," Risa thought tearfully.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be," the shadow of Marik's voice whispered in her mind, and she gave an involuntary shudder.

* * *

Kairi strode into the bar with grace and an attitude that screamed 'don't mess with me'. It was almost comical, in that sense, when awkward Ryou walked nervously after her, looking warily around at the hostile faces that glanced their way.

"Kairi…I really don't think we should be here," Ryou whispered as he tugged at the back of her jacket. "We could get into a lot of trouble hanging around a place like this."

"Ryou, we're fine…besides I need a drink," Kairi replied coldly.

"But you don't drink."

Kairi rolled her eyes and continued on her way until she reached the barkeeper and took a seat. All along the way they had people whispering to each other about the odd pair.

"Strawberry daiquiri, virgin," she told the barkeeper. "And I'll take a chef salad."

He nodded before turning to Ryou. "And you?"

"Um… I'll have a coke," Ryou said after some thought. "And a hamburger."

The barkeeper looked at the pair for a moment before sidling off to get their orders. In the meantime a group of three men sat at a table nearby trying to enjoy their meal but one of them spotted Kairi walking in and grinned mischievously.

"Whoo…that one there's pretty cute. She looks familiar somehow too."

"If you like her Valon then go talk TO her instead of about her to us," the blonde sitting next to him muttered.

"Hey, I think that girl is the one that stole from Kaiba Corp," a nearby guy murmured just loud enough for the group of three to hear.

"Kaiba Corp?" the red headed one of the three asked quickly.

"Oh come on, Alister. We're trying to enjoy our meal, so could you please keep your Kaiba obsessions to yourself?" Valon asked taking a bite of his food while keeping his eyes on pretty brunette. "Hmm... a wanted woman, eh? Always did have a thing for the rebellious ones. They make life more fun."

"So what do we know so far?" Ryou asked Kairi as they waited for their food and drinks.

Kairi pulled out a book from her bag and flipped it open. They had spent an entire day within the library, using both the books and the internet to research Egyptian legends based on what they already knew. They had sifted through many stories and legends, but there was one in particular Kairi had been drawn to, quite literally. In the middle of their research, she had started to hear voices.

At first she ignored it, thinking it might have been something Bakura was doing. But when the whispers became more insistent, she followed them to a closed off part of the library where several books were either too battered and old to be handled or were being preserved for other purposes. It was there she located a book with no title, but it had the Millennium eye and the Egyptian god Ra imprinted on the cover. She ended up taking it without consent, which of course Ryou wasn't very happy about, since Kairi had started acting more strange ever since the incident with Kaiba corp.

Kairi began to read the passage out loud: _"Long ago, when the threat of darkness loomed over the land, the high priests beseeched Ra to lend them the ability to harness the power of light. Ra, feeling pity for the people of his land, gave them the light he loved and treasured so dearly, and shed a tear for each entity of darkness that would be created and force him to part with his beloved. The light was placed in a mother's womb, and she gave birth to the child of the light."_

Bakura kept calling Kairi, his 'light'. Was there possibly some sort of connection?

"Kairi Mitsuko…you are under arrest for the theft at Kaiba Corp," a deep demanding voice said from behind them.

"That bloke was right," Valon commented. "She is the one who robbed Kaiba Corp. I thought she looked familiar. Oi, fellas, we should 'elp the sheila."

"Forget it!" Raphael and Alister said in unison.

"Come on, mates. Alister, that girl is connected to Kaiba somehow. Chances are she'd be able to get you in to see 'im. And weren't you the one complaining about being bored the other day?" Valon asked Raphael.

"No, that was you," Raphael retorted.

"Then there's no reason we shouldn't lend a helping hand. For old time's sake?"

"Fine, but I'd better be getting a reward for this," Alister muttered. Raphael just grunted. Then the three left the bar in a hurry.

At that moment the barkeeper had returned with their drinks but stopped after putting them down as he spotted the two police officers.

"Well, dang," Kairi muttered grabbing her drink and took of few chugs. Then she turned quickly on the spot and smashed glass on the head of the first officer and shoved him into the second before grabbing Ryou and dragging him toward the exit. "Come on, Ryou, let's get moving."

"Kairi…you just assaulted an officer of the law," Ryou said feeling both frightened and admiration for her action.

"Stop her!" the second officer shouted once he had regained his footing, his partner still lying on the ground.

Almost immediately the front doors were covered by two hulking guards blocking Kairi and Ryou's exit. "This is as far as you go," one of them muttered deeply.

Kairi glanced outside and saw her motorbike was surrounded by a bunch of black suits. She reached behind her, taking the pitcher full of beer a group of guys had been sharing and splashed it into the two men's eyes, momentarily blinding them. While all this had happened, a full blown bar fight had broken out and the place was in chaos. Kairi dragged Ryou through the fighting crowd to the bathroom. She forced the jammed window open and crawled out. Ryou scrambled after her.

"We're trapped, Kairi. There's no way we can out run the police without a vehicle," Ryou said in a panic.

"Don't you think I know that," Kairi muttered irately. "I liked that bike, too."

"Oi! Need a lift, mates?"

Kairi and Ryou looked around to see three people riding large motorcycles. The one that was closest to them offered his hand and Kairi graciously took it hopping onto the back of his bike while the tallest and biggest one picked Ryou up with ease and placed him on his bike. As soon as the two were situated and wearing helmets, the group rode off with a roar as the police tried to calm the drunken bar fight and find the two runaways.

"Whew, that was quite the scene you two made," the one with an Australian accent shouted to be heard over the roar of his bike. "What were the coppers after you two for?"

"They were after me because I wouldn't get rid of my Stride gum," Kairi said in sardonic humor.

"Really, still on your first piece, eh?" He laughed with amusement, taking it in stride.

"You know it," Kairi replied with a smirk. "So, got a place we could lay low for a while?"

"Sure, just stick with us," He told her, then turned to his two buddies. "You guys don't mind, do ya?"

"Whatever, she did make Kaiba pretty angry," the one without a rider replied.

"As long as you don't bother me, I don't care," the larger one muttered.

"Great! You'll have loads of fun at my place, trust me," Kairi's driver told her.

_"Easier said than done,"_ Kairi thought with a hint of bitterness.

* * *

CM: Hooray! The three motor heads are back in business! Next chapter see what Yugi and the gang have been doing, and will Risa be able to escape Marik's clutches? And can Kairi and Ryou really find help in these three recovered antagonists? Stay tuned!


	13. All About the Game

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: It's All About the Game**

They had ridden well into the night before finally stopping in a small town with a single gas station, a local food market, and a rundown motel. Stay was cheap, though they could still only afford to get one room for the five of them to stay in. The interior of the room look barely habitable. The carpet was covered with stains, the walls and ceilings were cracked, and the television had terrible reception. The bathroom sink was leaking, and the pipes rusted.

Kairi didn't mind too much, she had stayed in worse places, believe it or not. There were two beds, one of which she was resting on, reading through her Egyptian book while Ryou was pacing around looking rather fretful.

"You're going to burn a hole in the carpet if you keep doing that, mate," the one named Valon told him.

"You're awfully calm for someone who has half the Japanese police force on your tail," Raphael remarked at the lone female amongst the four males.

"Says the person who just helped out the convict who has half the Japanese military on her tail," Kairi remarked wittily, not stopping in her reading.

Valon snickered. "I like this one."

"Quit acting like we're stupid. we watch the news too you know. I'm sure it was you that got Seto Kaiba all up in a bind," the one called Alister stated. "Now just explain exactly what's going on, or we could just dump you on the street."

Kairi shut her book with an impatient sigh and set it down. "Fine. I guess I might have somehow broken into Kaiba Corp., stole something extremely important which I don't even know the location of, and now he's after my head. Satisfied?"

"Yeah… and how'd you manage that?" Alister asked extremely amused by the outcome.

"My adoptive father taught me a lot growing up," Kairi replied nonchalantly.

"Really? Well, he must have taught you well because what you did in there was incredible," Valon commended.

"So now you're a wanted Class A criminal," Raphael stated. "You sure did a great job messing up your life."

"Kairi did nothing wrong," Ryou piped up angrily.

"Oh really?" Raphael said doubtfully.

"Stealing from a major company, assaulting an officer, starting a barroom brawl," Alister ticked off on his fingers. "Yeah, she's a real slice of innocence."

"I'll have a slice of that," Valon laughed.

Kairi rolled her eyes. She had been doing that a lot lately, it seemed. "Just leave it alone, Ryou."

"But all of it wasn't you," Ryou spoke up.

"Maybe…but that doesn't change what happened," Kairi muttered coldly.

"Oh, well…so what's so fascinating about that book?" Valon asked swiping the book and flipping through it. "Wow you seem to have a real fascination with Egyptian lore...how do you even read this?"

"That's none of your business," Kairi said with a scowl. "Now give that back," she said grabbing for it.

"Not until you tell us what this has to do with what you pulled off. I mean you're obviously looking for some sort of answer," Valon said holding the book out of her reach teasingly.

"We saved your butts back there," Raphael reminded them. "The least you can do is give us an explanation."

"What's it say, Valon?" Alister asked.

Valon studied it a moment. "Let's see... a bird, a knife... and a rock... I'm guessing something about cooking chicken."

All the males sweat-dropped.

"Valon... you're an imbecile," Raphael stated.

"Damn right, he is, now give it back!" Kairi lunged and easily pinned Valon down. She was about to wrestle the book from him when a gold shine caught her eye. Poking out of the collar of his shirt, was the head of the Millennium key. What in the world did THIS guy have it for?

"Wow, don't you think you're moving a bit fast?" Valon joked grinning up at her.

"Where did you get that?" Kairi demanded leaning back in surprise while she ignored the comments around her.

"What…my rugged good looks?" Valon asked with a smile.

"NO…that," Kairi replied pointing at the gold object in his jacket.

"Oh, I picked this up a few days ago," Valon said, sitting up and pulling it out. He had made it into a makeshift necklace, and it hung around his neck by a cord of rope. "Usually I'm not much for gold, but I think it brings out the color of me eyes."

"Valon, how did you get that?" Raphael demanded slightly annoyed.

Ryou's face turned slightly red at the sight and tried to keep himself under control.

"Well I wasn't about to pay the price that bloke was offering it for," Valon said in his defense.

"You mean you STOLE it?" Ryou asked.

"Yes, just like the sheila stole that book," Valon replied with a shrug.

"We're trying to atone for the things that we've done, what you're doing does not help that," Raphael scolded.

"Come on, Raphael, what do you expect from a guy who spent half his childhood in prison?" Alister said condescendingly.

"Do you have any idea what that thing is?" Kairi asked him angrily. "Hand it over."

"What, and let you have fun with this millennium item?" Valon asked mockingly. "Besides you seem to have one around your lovely little neck already."

Kairi grabbed the front of his shirt angrily. "I don't wear this by choice," she hissed. Then she shoved him back onto the floor roughly before snatching the book back and getting up off him.

"Woah…cool it, shiela. I was just joking," Valon said smiling. "Nice to know that you're looking for these things…. and that apparently someone's controlling you on the side."

"As you can clearly see, we're all familiar about the millennium items and what they entail," Raphael cut in. "So if you expect us to just hand one of them over, then I hope you enjoy disappointment."

Kairi was about to open a can of whoop-ass on all three of these guys, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Kairi, please be reasonable. Let's just tell them. Maybe they can help us," Ryou said softly in her ear.

She scowled at him but silently agreed. They had to start somewhere.

"Alright, time to hear a story," Valon exclaimed sitting up.

"Will you stop acting like a child?" Alister asked annoyed.

Kairi sighed with annoyance but the corner of her mouth twitched with amusement. She then proceeded to tell them what she felt was necessary for them to understand the current situation. Of course she left out the bit that happened between her and Bakura…partially for Ryou's sake and partially because it was a private matter.

"So you released those three spirits…they became solid…and now you're trying to stop them without being used by them," Valon said summing all of it up.

"Sounds like you and that friend of yours really know how to party," Alister remarked.

"You should see us around New Years," Kairi replied.

"It must be hard moving around when you're wanted for grand thievery," Raphael noted.

"Only slightly," Kairi said in a 'way to state the obvious' tone of voice. "The way I see it, the millennium items were what helped set them free. Maybe they're the keys to putting things back to the way they were. But there's another part of this puzzle I'm still searching for."

"Then it sounds like you could use a little help," Valon surmised with a smirk.

"Would you, please?" Ryou asked them earnestly. "We would be most grateful."

"Hmmm….what's in it for us?" Alister asked.

_"How about I don't smash your face in?"_ Kairi thought slightly annoyed. But she kept her anger in check. "Name your price," she sighed.

"Oooh, I know what I want," Valon said right off the bat.

"Shut up, Valon," Raphael stated cutting him off.

"Maybe what we want is simply a little cash from Kaiba," Alister said smiling.

"Are you secretly in love with him?" Kairi asked.

"Wow, Alister, she pegged you perfectly," Valon laughed.

"You shut it, limey," Kairi snapped. "If you guys can help me, I'll get you whatever you want, within reason."

"I'm down for that," Valon said. "Whaddya say fellas? Couldn't hurt to have a little fun."

"Eh, might as well. It'll give me something to do other than listen to this guy talk about girls," Alister said jabbing a thumb at Valon.

"That's how we feel when we have to listen to you go on about Kaiba," Raphael muttered. "Well, I have nothing better to do. Perhaps this will be a way to atone for my past sins."

"Great, then it looks like we have ourselves a team," Kairi said. She had to admit, she had her misgivings. But if these guys could really help her, she might as well give it a shot. "Well, I'm going to sleep. Someone wake me at dawn." She laid down not bothering to cover herself with the bed sheets.

"Hold on a minute!" Alister exclaimed suddenly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sleeping, what's it look like?" Kairi retorted.

"There are only two beds in here, so what makes you think you should get one?" he demanded.

"Because I have the highest intelligence in this sad excuse for a party," she replied shortly.

"Well if you're so smart then build yourself a hammock or something," he continued. "Because I'm definitely getting one of these beds."

"You're such a pansy, Alister," Raphael muttered sitting down on the floor.

"Well, I don't mind, I'll just share with the sheila," Valon said smiling.

"No, you won't," Ryou suddenly spoke up. "That's completely inappropriate and it's only right that Kairi gets a bed to herself... since she is a lady," he added in embarrassment and to excuse his sudden outburst.

"Well, if you want to share it with her you should just say so," Valon said shaking his head.

Ryou's face turned beet red at this and he clenched his fists. "Th-that's not it! It's just as she's the only girl here she deserves the bed to herself," he clarified.

"Heh, Alister is more a lady than she is," Raphael muttered.

"Hey, you take that back," Alister said from his sitting position on the second bed which he had claimed.

"I'm surrounded by morons," Kairi mumbled out loud, trying to ignore the idiocy around her as she tried to drift off to sleep. She could almost see it. _His _hand, stretching out to her, welcoming her to the realm of dreams.

Then suddenly she felt the mattress shift as it took on the weight of another body.

"Well, good night then," Valon said as he relaxed down on the bed next to her. The bed was small, and with two people on it, it offered no considerations for personal space.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kairi asked him while Ryou shouted it nearly the exact same time.

"Just checking out the territory," was Valon's answer.

"Shoot me now," Alister said.

"Do it yourself," Raphael said gruffly.

"If you want to live to tomorrow you had better mind your distance," Kairi warned him.

"I was right, you are feisty," Valon commented in amusement. Despite the serious threat, he didn't move a muscle.

Kairi glared at him. "Get. Away."

"Well...I'd kind of like the bed myself...so why not have a match to see who stays," he suggested.

"Now see here," Ryou started but Kairi stopped him.

"No, Ryou. I'll take care of it," Kairi said, having everyone intention of making the guy wish he had never been born.

There was a short scuffle in which Kairi elbowed and kicked and tried to force him into a hold. Valon was obviously having fun, as he blocked most of her blows and reversed her attempts to bind him. He wasn't like the others Kairi had fought, he actually knew what he was doing. When it was finally over, he was pinning her to the bed with a triumphant grin on his face, and Raphael was holding Ryou back by the shirt.

"My turn to be on top, love."

Kairi glowered up at him, her face conveying the ire she felt. She was so focused on her anger towards the man on top of her, she didn't even notice the dark aura that was seeping out of her, as a terrifying shadow was reflected in her eyes. Valon caught site of this and quickly got up as if he'd been shocked.

"Sorry 'bout that...bed's all yours," he said going to sit on the floor near the door.

Ryou was a little surprised, but rather relieved to see that the biker had finally left Kairi alone. Raphael and Alister, however, were more concerned about how quickly he'd backed off. He's not one to quit on anything, but this time he didn't keep going until he was bored. What could have happened to frighten him off like that? Kairi was also a little surprised by this, but she didn't dwell on it for too long and turned over to steadily drift off to sleep.

* * *

Though Risa had fought to stay awake, she found she could not keep her eyes opened. Much to her dismay, the nightmare picked up right where it had left off, with Marik on top of her, restraining her against the cold ground.

"So pet, once more you have chosen to defy me," Marik said.

"As I said before, what I do is none of your business," Risa said in what was meant to be in a strong voice, but ended up cracking near the end.

"You couldn't be more wrong, naughty little pet. For if I cannot have you then no other man shall," he said running his talon fingers down her face. "I think it's time to show you what it means to go against my wishes."

Risa's eyes widened and she began to struggle so hard, she could almost hear the bones in her wrists grinding together where Marik held them down. Tears of her own, self-inflicted pain began to sting her eyes.

"Does it hurt, little pet?" Marik asked. The Egyptian's words were a hiss, fingertips trailing down to the thighs that were held apart once again by a knee placed between them.

Risa shuddered at the feeling, keeping her eyes shut tightly as the warm touch moved beneath her.

"Don't worry, a little pain is good at the beginning. It will feel much better soon."

Marik leaned down and kissed her neck line, lips making her skin tingle. Gritting her teeth, Risa tried not to focus on the warmth of Marik's tongue tracing the contours of her chest. Though the administrations, she found, slowly relaxed the coiled tenseness in her body, making her muscles tremble. Marik noticed her go limp and laughed softly, lips touching her skin right over where her heart was beating rapidly.

"Wonderful..."

Heated fingers had made their way down and in moments Risa felt bare and exposed. She then tensed, ready for the pain she knew was coming. She wasn't going to give Marik the satisfaction of hearing her scream. She felt her thighs forced apart and as she braced herself for the impending pain, when all at once a loud sound rang in her ears.

Her eyes shot open as she landed heavily on the floor next to the bed she had fallen asleep on with the covers following her. She was breathing heavily and felt like she hadn't slept at all…that was anything but relaxing. The blaring sound continued to surround her until she reached up and hit the snooze button on the bedside alarm clock.

She started to take deep calming breaths to lower her heart rate and keep the tears from breaking through. It had been a very close call...and she knew it. There was nothing she could do about Marik entering her dreams and she was sure that the next night he would not let her escape. Looking out the window she saw that the sun had come up and wiping the tears that had broken through, she wearily changed and headed for the dining room and breakfast.

When she arrived, she discovered that Joey was already present eating everything in sight and Pegasus was enjoying his toon cereal. "Morning, Uncle…morning, Joey," she mumbled announcing her presence as she walked into the room.

"Ah good morning, Risa…my, didn't you sleep well?" Pegasus asked noticing the fatigue that was etched clearly on her face.

"Naw…I kept having the same nightmare, but I'll live," Risa murmured forcing a reassuring smile on her face.

"You feeling alright?" Joey asked slowly remembering her outburst the night before.

"Yeah…I'm fine," Risa replied in a voice much higher than was normal. Her eyes kept sweeping around the room in a quick manner that suggested that she expected something to attack her at any moment.

"Well, if you're having troubles with nightmares then I have something that might help," Pegasus said motioning to one of his workers. Risa glanced at him with desperate hope dancing in her eyes as she waited for the worker to return. When they did they brought with them a small portable circle that had yarn weaved in and out of it in an intricate pattern and in the center was a small bead.

"What is it?" Risa asked hoarsely.

"The natives here call it a dream catcher," Pegasus explained. "It's supposed to catch bad dreams in its web and prevent them from entering our minds."

Risa looked at the small item and desperately hoped that it was true…she knew that if she had to experience another night like that, then she knew her resolve would have almost nothing holding it up and she'd fall to Marik's whims.

She carefully took the item and clipped it to the front of her shirt deciding to test it out later. Then with her hope renewed and her resolve strengthened she and Joey continued their search of Pegasus' home for the tear of Ra.

* * *

Things were very busy at Kaiba corp. After making his appearance on television, Kaiba was working tirelessly to keep his company under control as well as try to locate the missing girl and his missing program. He had ordered the people in his company to start working on the backup file, as well as to keep a close eye for any sign that their product was being released. Using his connections, he put out a wide search for any place the program might have gone. He also made sure to emphasize that if anyone found Kairi's whereabouts, he was to be notified immediately.

He was up in his office when his secretary rang in. "Mr. Kaiba... there's a Yugi Mouto on the line."

"What does he want?" Kaiba grumbled irately. "I'm too busy to deal with something that's not important."

"Something to do with a couple of girls... Katie and Rina I think. Wants to know where they're at." Kaiba could distinctly hear the sound of a nail file sawing away from the other end of the phone as she spoke.

"Tell them this: If I knew where either of them were, I WOULDN'T BE LOOKING FOR THEM," he said before slamming the phone down.

He sat there fuming for a few moments when the phone rang again. "What is it now?"

"It's your brother. He wants to see you."

Kaiba paused before sighing. "Let him in." No sooner did he set the phone down than Mokuba came storming in.

"Seto…" His eyes were wide. "Did you really mean what you said, that you wanted Kairi found dead or alive?"

"After all that she's put me through, it would serve her right," Kaiba muttered, shuffling through his papers.

"How could you say that? We all went to the same orphanage," Mokuba exclaimed.

"That was in the past, this has nothing to do with it. She demonstrated how she feels the moment she broke in," Kaiba retorted.

"But… what if there's a reason? I mean… Yugi and the others might know…"

"Don't even get me started with that group of losers," Kaiba snapped. "Now if you don't have something important to tell me then go home."

Mokuba stood there for a long moment before turning around. "I did, but now I don't think I want to say it," he murmured.

"Mokuba," Kaiba said, standing up from his chair. "What did you find?"

"A few police officers spotted her at a bar in a town near the western coast," Mokuba said reluctantly.

"What happened?" the elder brother demanded.

"A brawl started up and she escaped," Mokuba answered.

"How long ago was that?"

"Um…just last night."

"Get anyone and everyone on it, I want her found," Kaiba ordered.

"Yeah… sure," Mokuba muttered, turning to leave.

"Mokuba, we'll figure out what's going on when she gets back," Kaiba suddenly said. "But we have to find her first."

This made Mokuba's mood brighten significantly and he nodded in agreement before rushing out the door. Kaiba sat back down at his desk for a few moments, contemplating. There had to be someone who knew where she might be. An idea hit him, though it was an insane notion, at this point, he would try just about anything.

He picked up the phone and told his secretary, "Clear my schedule tomorrow, I have somewhere I need to be."

* * *

"It's about Kairi and Risa...yes...yes...it's very important...wait what? Wait, don't hang up."

Yugi Mouto had been calling Kaiba Corp. trying to get a hold of Seto Kaiba and talk to him about the two missing girls and try to get him to pull off the dead or alive stipulation for Kairi's arrest. Unfortunately, he found out very quickly that getting to talk to the head was almost impossible unless you call from her cell. He had been trying for the last hour but still came up with nothing.

"Couldn't get through again?" Atem asked in frustration.

"No, he still refuses to talk to me," Yugi replied dejectedly putting the phone down.

"We may as well give up, the guy's too stubborn," Tristan said, sitting by the window of Yugi's bedroom. "And Joey just up and disappeared. For all we know he got kidnapped."

"Maybe he found Risa and Kairi," Tea said hopefully.

"Something tells me they're not traveling together, but it would be a nice thought," Atem stated.

"Ryou's gone missing too," Yugi said sadly. "I tried contacting Ishizu but she doesn't know where they could be either."

"They're both really strong, I'm sure they'll be alright," Tea spoke up.

"If those two are still after them, I'm not sure how long they'll be able to keep up their strength," Atem pointed out. "We need to figure out how to help them before it reaches that point."

"Yugi," Yugi's grandfather came in. "You have a couple of visitors, some old friends."

The three teenagers and 5000 year old spirit exchanged looks before heading downstairs to see who it was. They were pleased to see it was Ishizu and Odion.

"Pharaoh, thank goodness you are well," Ishizu greeted.

"As well as the rest of you," Odion added nodding his head.

"Where's Malik?" Atem asked curiously.

"He is gone to see Risa," Ishizu said.

"Wait, so you found her?" Yugi asked eagerly.

"Yes, she is staying with Pegasus and is safe for the time being."

"What about Kairi?" Tea asked.

Both shook their heads saying they did not know.

"How did you find out she was there?" Tristan asked.

"I called him up shortly after you called me and asked if he had received the millennium eye," Ishizu explained. "When I did, he told me that she was there looking for one of the tears of Ra."

"Tears of... Ra?" Yugi asked looking puzzled.

"The tears of Ra... that term is familiar to me," Atem murmured.

"As it should be," Ishizu said. "Please, all of you sit down. During my time in Egypt, I was able to uncover a story thought to be long lost and forgotten that I wish to share with you now. It may help shed light on what is to come."

* * *

"Any luck?" Joey asked after several hours of non-stop searching.

They still had had no luck finding the stone but they still had more than half the building to search through. However, they had just finished looking through every room that Risa expected to see it in…now they had all the normal rooms.

"Nothing," Risa replied having a hard time keeping herself standing after the emotional strain from the previous night and the physical strain of staying awake as she searched. "Well on to the next room."

They left the room together both feeling down and like the stone might not be there at all. As they opened the door they ran headlong into someone knocking them to the floor and quickly apologized for it.

"You okay?" Joey asked looking down. He jumped in surprise when he realized who it was they had run into. However, his feelings changed pretty quickly from surprise to disappointment.

"I guess it's my fault for not paying attention," the guy mumbled on the ground before he glanced up realizing who spoke. "Oh, Joey…Risa, I was hoping I'd find you guys here."

"I don't know how you knew I'd be here Malik but I am glad to see you," Risa replied offering him her hand and helped him to his feet. "Why did you come?"

"To be honest, I was concerned about you. Yugi and the others contacted us, asking if you had possibly gone back to Egypt after running off. My sister was speaking with your uncle to see if he had one of the millennium items, since he had possessed it once before, and he mentioned that you were here. I don't suppose Kairi is here with you as well?"

"Uh...no, I came here without seeing or talking to anyone else," Risa muttered sadly. "I have no clue where Kairi is right now."

"Well, apparently she's wanted for grand theft," Malik informed.

"Oh, yeah…I saw that news flash…I guess she disappeared after that," Risa replied leaning up against the wall in her fatigue. "I'm sorry I worried everyone….but I couldn't stick around…not after what I did to Yugi."

"If it's any consolation, none of them were really angry. Just worried and confused. I kind of wished you had stuck around a little longer."

"Well, you're sister was right on the note that Pegasus had that creepy eye thing," Joey said attempting to turn the conversation another direction.

"Yep, he got the Millennium eye just like last time. Did she come to her conclusion because Yugi ended up with the Millennium puzzle again?" Risa asked curiously.

"That was at least part of it," Malik replied. "She didn't tell me all her reasons though. So what are you guys doing now?"

"We're searching for this stone that Pegasus said he had at some point but didn't remember where he put it. Unfortunately it's strangely shaped which describes just about everything he has in here," Joey explained.

"Well, that does sound like a dilemma," Malik said rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. Then his eyes lowered as if they were drawn to something. "Um… Risa…. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think your wrist is glowing."

Risa glanced down and found that he was right. She pulled her sleeve back enough to see the bracelet which was giving off the same glow as Yugi's puzzle. She turned around and glanced around the room as it dawned on her what she should have been looking for from the start. After a few minutes of looking while ignoring comments from Joey and Malik, she spotted a low glow and reached into a small pile of stuff until her fingers touched something smooth. She wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it out. It turned out to be a large green stone that had a ghostly green glow to it. Then unsure of what to do next she placed it next to her bracelet and watched in surprise as it compressed itself until it fit comfortably in one of the seven nooks.

"Okay… that's just plain creepy," Joey commented as he watched the stone sink right into place.

"Incredible," Malik whispered. "And to think…. We've only heard legends but we've never actually found proof of existence for these stones."

"Hey Malik…are they really tears of Rah?" Risa asked staring at her bracelet.

"Yes…or at least that's how the legends go," Malik replied.

"Right…we need to find the rest of these stones as well as those millennium items. I get the feeling they are the key to putting a stop to Marik and Bakura's plan," Risa muttered more to herself than anyone else.

"Well if that's the case then you'd better get some dinner and a good night's rest before you head out again," Pegasus said coming up behind them. "I'm very glad you managed to find it, Risa…I'd been looking for it for ages."

"No trouble at all, Uncle," Risa mumbled turning back to them as they all headed for the dining hall.

They had a pleasant dinner in which Joey scarfed down as much food and he could reach from his seat and Risa wondered to herself how he managed to stay so skinny. After dinner they all dispersed.

* * *

When Risa got to her room she stopped when she spotted her reflection in the full length mirror. She really did look worse for wear. She had dark rings under her eyes and she looked pale and scared. She walked forward until she was standing directly in front of it. Then she lowered her collar to see the mark on her neck burning as vividly as ever. It was bad enough feeling it there, but seeing it just seemed to intensify Risa's tension even more. She pulled the neck lower and saw all the 'love nips' that Marik had left behind were starting to fade away. Just seeing them there reminded her of last night and she shivered involuntarily as she remembered quite vividly the feel of him on her.

As she was inspecting the grotesque marks on her neck, there was someone watching unbeknownst to her. Outside her room Joey was standing at a small window feeling very angry as he saw the marks that were quite visible on her neck.

"I'm going to destroy the guy that did that to her," he muttered under his breath.

"Um…Joey, what are you doing?" Malik asked coming down the hall toward him. "This is Risa's room you know."

"Yeah, I know…and you should see this," Joey said motioning toward him.

Malik walked up to him disgust on his face as he said, "I'm not going to peak on Risa while she's in her room." But all the same once he reached the window curiosity got the better of him and his eyes flickered to where he could clearly see Risa standing in front of a mirror examining several marks on her neck. "Who did that?" he asked clearly surprised.

"To be honest I thought it was you," Joey muttered nervously. "She's got bruises on her arms as well and I figured it had been you who did it."

"You insult me," Malik said frowning. "I would never do something like that to Risa. But I think I know who would."

"Who?" Joey asked blinking his eyes.

"Um…that big guy who had been sneaking glances at her during school," Malik told him not wanting to reveal what he really thought.

"That guy's going to get it hard when I get back," Joey muttered menacingly.

Meanwhile Malik was thinking to himself. _"He would most certainly do such awful things to her. But... if that's the same mark... why is that still there?"_

"Well I'm going bed…see you in the morning, Malik," Joey said walking away toward his own room.

Malik nodded at Joey as a way of acknowledgment, then he turned his face back toward the window where he could see that Risa was still examining the marks with an expression of fear and disgust on her face. _"It has to be him…there's no other explanation for it,"_ he thought staring into the room without really seeing anything.

When he finally brought himself back to reality he noticed that Risa had stopped looking at her neck and was now removing her shirt to get dressed for bed. Malik quickly looked away but not before he spotted her bare back and the nice hourglass figure that she usually hid underneath baggy clothes…except for when she was in school. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the image and walked away knowing that if she caught him there she'd probably send him flying to next week.

* * *

"What's the hold up, thief?" Marik asked Bakura.

The two had been gathering resources over the past few days and with the funds they had recently acquired, doing so was becoming more and more simple. And of course, there was the task of breaking their new toys in.

"I've noticed that you're still at the first stage with your woman, while I've already managed to get almost all the way to the end."

"Taking a woman against her will is fun, true," Bakura said. "But having her come to you willingly is even better. Soon, I'll have her begging me to take her."

"So you say…unfortunately for you she seems to have gotten together with a few new men…what will you do if her feelings move more towards one of them instead of you?" Marik asked scathingly.

"Unlike you, Marik, she and I have an actual history together. Not only that, the bond between us goes far beyond what you've managed to accomplish with your little pet." Bakura lifted his hand and dark shadows began swirling around it in a sinister fashion. "But of course if anyone tried to take what was mine, they'd suffer the ultimate penalty."

"If you truly wanted to make sure she didn't get too friendly with them you'd make her understand completely what the outcome would be," Marik reprimanded him leaning back in his chair.

"What about you? I noticed that your 'pet' had actually kissed the Wheeler boy and holds strong feelings for your other half," Bakura shot back. "And here I thought you had her on a shorter leash than that."

"She has already paid that penalty. I will deal with the interloper in time," Marik declared. "As for my weaker half, he is no threat to me. There is nothing he can do to repair the damage that has been made."

"Hmmm….we shall see whose woman comes back first," Bakura declared in a competitive tone. "You will find that my woman will return to me willingly before yours allows you to enter any further."

"You will regret that statement, Bakura," Marik smirked. "She will be mine within the week."

"We shall see," the thief murmured.

* * *

CM: Sorry for the late update, college is really kicking my arse. _ I'll try to get the chapter up sooner next time. Stay tuned, I hope you enjoyed it, and please review. :)


	14. Falling Inside the Black

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Falling Inside the Black**

"So, what can you tell us about these Tears of Ra?" Atem asked when the group was situated in the living room.

"Five thousand years ago, when the millennium items were created," Ishizu began. "It was said that Ra himself sent down his light in order to protect this world from the darkness we created ourselves. In doing so, he shed a tear for each item that was created, thus creating a balance."

"Well that makes sense, an eye for an eye, right?" Tristan stated.

"So what happened to the tears?" Tea asked.

"They came to earth in the form of beautiful, unearthly stone held inside a charm called the millennium bracelet, even though it is not technically part of the millennium items," Ishizu explained. "The power over light was entrusted to the Pharaoh's first child."

"My older sister," Atem clarified.

"You're older sister?" Tristan asked in awe. "I didn't know you had any siblings."

"Yes, one older and one younger sister," Atem explained. "You know their reincarnations...Kairi and Risa."

"Wait a minute," Yugi exclaimed. "You're saying those two were related to you in the past?"

"This would've been nice to know a little earlier," Tristan grumbled.

"I wonder what Kaiba would think if he heard that," Tea wondered.

"It's something he would benefit from knowing about," Ishizu continued. "As he was to be wed to the first daughter of the pharaoh, the bearer of the light. It was to be a grand union."

"Kairi was supposed to marry Kaiba?" Tristan, Tea and Yugi exclaimed.

"Yes, though this was in ancient times so it holds no significance now," Atem explained. "Except for the sense they have to protect each other."

"So, what does this have to do with the tears and light?" Yugi asked.

"You said she was 'supposed' to?" Tea said catching on.

"Yes, unfortunately the ceremony was disturbed, and the princess vanished without a trace. She was never seen in the kingdom again. No one really knows what became of her. But the light, instead of dying out, was passed on."

"Through descendants right?" Yugi Tea asked.

"Yes, Kairi is now the possessor of Ra's light," Ishizu continued. "And Risa holds the key to the seven tears."

"If Marik and Bakura get their hands on both...darkness will engulf this world," Odion added.

"Of course, end of the world as we know it. Why do we always end up involved in this sort of thing?" Tristan asked.

"Well I'm ready to help out," Tea said all gung ho. "What do we need to do?"

"Gather the millennium items as well as locate the seven tears of Ra," Ishizu stated.

"No doubt Bakura and Marik are already at work trying to find them," Atem murmured.

"I don't think they'll work too hard on that," Yugi murmured. "Not if Risa and Kairi have figured this out."

"Yeah, those two are probably already searching...and by the sound of it Risa's already found one," Tristan agreed.

"I just hope they'll be able to hold onto the items long enough to use them," Tea sighed.

"Well then, let's get started!" Yugi said standing up. "Those two need our help, and as friends we gotta help out in any way we can!"

"That's right, because with the power of friendship, we can concur anything," Tea exclaimed getting excited. "So let's go find where these tears have fallen."

"I'm in!" Tristan piped up.

"Thank you both for your help," Atem told Ishizu and Odion. "If it's not too much to ask, would you continue to stay and assist us?"

"Of course, my pharaoh. We will do all in our power to protect your family," Ishizu answered.

"Marik and Bakura will not take them so long as we can defend them," Odion added with a bow.

XXXXX

"Okay, so here's the plan," Kairi said laying blue prints out onto the bed of the motel she, the three biker boys, and Ryou were staying at. "Thanks to some digging around, we managed to find out where what could possibly be what we're looking for."

"You're talking about that stone you were looking at in the museum we went to the other day, correct?" Raphael inferred.

"That's right," Kairi said nodding.

"And what if it's not?" Alister demanded. "Then we'll get even bigger rap sheets for nothing."

"I like this idea," Valon cut in. "So, when's the big night?"

"No, absolutely not," Ryou exclaimed jumping in. "There's no way you're doing this, Kairi. You're already in more trouble than you've ever been, don't increase it."

"What do you suggest I do, Ryou? Buy the thing? Kaiba might be able to but I'm not about to ask him for that kind of favor," Kairi told him. "And better we get a hold of this thing than _somebody else_."

He knew what she was implying, but that didn't make him feel any better about it. "Kairi, let's just go back home. We can ask Yugi and the others for help."

"No," Kairi said flatly. "They have their own problems to deal with. If I had my way I'd be doing this myself and just leave all of you out of this."

"Awe, but where would the fun in that be?" Valon chuckled.

"I really don't see what all the fuss is about. If we're going then let's go," Raphael muttered.

"But Kairi..." Ryou started.

"Just give it a rest already," Alister muttered. "I doubt you'll be able to change her mind...she's stubborn as a mule."

Kairi felt a pang of guilt at Ryou's hurt and defeated look, but she ignored it. "Okay… thanks to some of my dad's old connections, I managed to get a complete layout of the museum and all of its securities," she began. "Now here's what we're going to do…"

XXXXX

"I can't believe I've been reduced to this," Seto Kaiba muttered as he was escorted through a long hallway with sliding bar doors on either side of the hall. "To think I'd have to go to that man for information on trying to find her. How low I've fallen."

The security guard escorting him stopped at a large door which he unlocked that lead to another room with another locked door. This one had a steel window flap that could be opened to a window in the door with bars. He opened the final door and said that he would wait right outside for when Kaiba was finished.

"What pleasure do I owe this visit from the GREAT Seto Kaiba?" a disdainful voice sneered from inside the prison.

"I'm here to talk about Kairi," Kaiba answered calmly. "There's no other reason than that."

"Did she prove too much for you to handle, boy? Or is it that she's decided you're too weak to take care of her any longer?"

Kaiba refused to allow this man's words to faze him. Instead he decided to get straight to business. "You adopted Kairi when she was still very young and taught her everything you knew. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the man chuckled. "Who would suspect a face as sweet and innocent looking as that? She managed to fool you for a time. Pity she sided with you in the end. I clearly didn't teach her well enough."

"You failed to realize the strong feelings she had for me and Mokuba from the orphanage," Kaiba retorted. "At any rate, I need to know where she'd run off to. What places would she go to travel?"

"So she did leave you," the man guessed.

"Answer the question," Kaiba ordered.

"How should I know?" the man stated innocently. "I'm a defeated man who's been locked up for months and months."

"I know you had many ties and connections in many different countries," Kaiba stated. "You can't tell me that you've lost just because you were sent to prison. Which ones would she use?"

"That would depend on whether or not she was planning to leave the country," he stated after some thought. "While she has betrayed me, she is still my child. She will be well cared for."

"I see… who would she go to for help? What country would she travel to?" he asked feeling as if he was finally getting somewhere.

"That you will have to determine, Seto Kaiba," the man declared. "She isn't as predictable as you might think. She only does something when she feels an absolute need for it." His smile became twisted. "Though even I can't discern her motives for taking something so precious from you and fleeing without a word. If you haven't received word about it by now, don't you think someone else might have it?"

He didn't want to admit it, but Kaiba had thought of that possibility. _"Who would want that program though?"_ he wondered silently. _"I have plenty of rivals that would use it...but who would be brazened enough to actually obtain stolen property?"_ Then an image of a familiar face crossed his mind. _"He would...he definitely would."_ "Very well, this will be the last you ever see of me," he declared out loud. Then he turned and headed for the door.

"You took her away from me, and now by some means she has been taken from you," he said darkly. "You seem to be good at losing things, Seto Kaiba."

"No, I'm just better at regaining what I do lose," Seto answered. "Unlike you who lost it all and will never obtain the greatness you once had. I will always be several steps ahead of you."

With that he left, not even bothering to wait for the security guard to escort him out.

XXXXX

"Reports are that the Johto Museum was broken into last night, but the only thing that was stolen was an unidentified stone. The police are attempting to sort out this matter…"

"I gotta say, sheila, I am impressed," Valon complimented as he looked away from the TV to Kairi who was rolling a periwinkle blue stone in her fingers as it casted an eerie glow against her skin.

Kairi had been in an edgy mood the past few days. Every night, Bakura would come visit her in her dreams, torturing her and teasing her with sweet words and gentle caresses. And then there would be times where he just stood in front of her, face inches from her, tempting her. She was proud to say that she had enough control over herself not to close the gap herself, but her resistance was growing weaker with each passing day. The weight inside of her never lifted, rather, it increased to the point where breathing air without Bakura's scent on it was becoming a tiring job in of itself.

"I don't think that was such a great idea, Kairi," Ryou murmured. "If you get caught now you'll never be able to get out of prison."

"Oh, don't be like that…she was great. I don't think I've ever seen a rich girl pull off a heist so easily," Valon said admirably.

"Can't you see, I'm trying to protect her!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Fine job you've been doing so far, mate," Valon shot back.

"Just how do you know that stone is what you're looking for?" Raphael asked her incredulously, ignoring the two arguing boys.

"I don't," Kairi answered honestly. "But I just have this feeling. I can't describe it, but I'm not about to doubt it."

"Fine…but now that you've got that, what's next?" Raphael asked.

Kairi opened her mouth to answer but stopped as the news switched over to a different topic.

"In other news the Schroeder Company is preparing to release a new program. Here is Zigfried Schroeder himself with the announcement."

"Yes…I've been working on this new program for years. Now that it's complete it'll revolutionize the gaming industry," Zigfried stated flamboyantly waving his hands about him.

"It can't be," Kairi whispered. Flashes of her break in at Kaiba corp and what it was that she had actually stolen. "We're breaking into the Schroeder Company to get that program," she declared as the report ended.

"You only just came up with that idea two second ago, didn't you?" Raphael asked in mild exasperation.

"I'm liking this girl more and more," Valon murmured aloud.

"What, one corporation wasn't enough for you?" Alister asked scathingly.

"It's not that," Kairi said.

So she explained to them, grudgingly, that Zigfried had somehow gotten his hands on a program that belonged to Seto that she had stolen, but she wasn't herself when she committed the crime so she hadn't remembered it until now, finishing off with the fact that Kaiba's corporation would be severely damaged if the program was released. She did also mention that Kaiba was good as a guardian and older brother to her.

"Okay…I guess we can understand the whole not being yourself thing. Right guys?" Valon said nodding his head in understanding.

"Did you really need to bring that up again, Valon?" Alister demanded shaking his head.

"Are you set on going to this place?" Raphael asked ignoring his two comrades.

"Yes…I'm not about to let something I did cause Seto to lose everything he's worked for," Kairi affirmed.

"You can't be serious, Kairi! You're going to get into even more trouble," Ryou said trying to talk her out of it. "There has to be another way to go about this."

"Ryou, you don't KNOW what kind of man Zigfried is. He won't hand over that program for anything. I wouldn't put it past the man to black mail Seto with it," Kairi said trying to make the white haired boy understand. "Besides, it's not really stealing. It's taking back what is rightfully Seto's and returning it to him… without getting caught in the act."

"You really are a strange person aren't you," Alister muttered.

"Whatever…if we're going to go then let's go," Raphael said angrily.

"Kairi, can I speak to you in private for a moment?" Ryou said suddenly.

Kairi smirked, wondering what lecture she was about to receive, but she got up from her seat. "Be right back, guys," she told the three before leading the way outside.

Once Ryou was sure they were out of earshot he looked at her. "Look I know you're trying to help Kaiba and all but I don't want to see you becoming more like HIM," he declared standing up straight. "There must be a way we can get it back without causing any more trouble."

"One of these days, Ryou, you're going to learn the world isn't such a friendly and easy place," Kairi told him. "Besides, what I do isn't any of your business."

"It is if you get sent to jail!" Ryou exclaimed. "Kairi, what's going on with you? You're really starting to scare me."

"Take a number," Kairi replied smartly before turning her back on him.

She was stopped when she felt Ryou grab onto her. It didn't hurt; Ryou was never rough. "Kairi, please, I want to help you."

Ryou… if only he knew. If only she could tell him. But she didn't think she could bear putting him through more misery than she had already been doing for the past few days now. "You can't," she whispered.

"Let me try," he implored, wrapping his arms around her.

Kairi felt her heart skip, and suddenly her chest was burning as the millennium ring pulsed icy hot against her skin. She pulled herself roughly out of Ryou's gentle embrace.

"Do us both a favor, and stop trying to play the hero. I'm not some damsel in distress who needs saving."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked back into the restaurant and back to the table where the three guys were still waiting.

"So what's the verdict? We still on?" Valon asked her.

"Yeah, though we'll wait until later tonight to go. Alister…. I hate to ask this but could you stay behind with Ryou?" Kairi asked turning to the red head.

"Why's that?" Alister asked.

"Because I don't want him to come after me and make it harder than it should be," Kairi explained.

"Fine…as long as I don't have to deal with YOU I'll be just fine," Alister stated leaning against the bar.

"Heh, you're loss," Valon chuckled.

"So it's settled then. We leave before dawn, and Ryou is not to know," Kairi confirmed. The three nodded in agreement.

XXXXX

"It's good to see you again, Kairi," Bakura whispered in her ear.

Kairi looked over her shoulder at him. Once more, she was alone with him, surrounded by endless darkness, unless he or she willed something to be there when it was needed.

"Is it too much to ask for just ONE night of decent sleep?" she asked wearily.

"Well it's possible if you would relax while in here," Bakura replied smiling coldly.

"This isn't exactly what you'd call a relaxing environment," Kairi replied.

"Shall I make it more to your liking then?" Bakura asked. Suddenly the darkness changed bringing in a large couch, a warm fireplace, candle light, and soothing music. "There…is that better?"

Kairi stared into his calculating coffee orbs. He was acting oddly generous. There had to be some ulterior motive. There always was. She allowed him to sit her down on the couch, the cushions so soft her body practically melted into them.

One thing Kairi had learned about Bakura, the thief almost always had a mischievous smirk on his face, regardless of his mood, which made it really hard to determine his thoughts and what his next actions were. It was exactly like that now as they sat there, bodies rubbing up against each other with intimate closeness.

"So what is it you want, Bakura?" Kairi asked getting down to business.

"Do you think I only come here to discuss things with you?" Bakura asked in mock surprise. At her expression, however, he chuckled and stated, "Ryou…he really seems to feel something for you."

"You're delusional," Kairi said with a shake of her head. "Ryou is just being his usual, fussy self. We're just friends. That's how it's always been."

"This is true….though with all your scheming you simply don't want him to get hurt. I assume this is because of something you want to keep hidden…am I right?" Bakura said simply wrapping one arm around her shoulder.

"It won't do him any good to know, so why even bother?"

"Because it seems to me that he is ignorant of the fact that he is walking a very thin line into dangerous territory," Bakura murmured, stroking her exposed neck with his chilling fingers.

"I'm ditching him in the morning," Kairi said shortly.

"Knowing him do you honestly think he'll give up just because you leave him behind?"

"He can chase after me until his lungs give out for all I care, he won't find me," Kairi declared trying to ignore his touch.

"That's what I like to hear," Bakura whispered breathing deeply on her neck.

Kairi's eyes fluttered closed as she felt the icy breeze on her skin and his scent of bittersweet vanilla surrounded her. For being in a dream, he sure knew how to make everything so very REAL. He got in real close, their foreheads touching and their noses brushing softly together, but he was not quite kissing her. No, this was his way of torturing her. Kairi's breathing quickened and each inhale was a further dose of the drug that was him. How long would she be able to keep this up?

"I think someone's calling you. We'll continue this the next time you fall asleep," Bakura whispered breathing heavily on her face.

Suddenly Kairi opened her eyes to see Valon standing over her. "Oy…it's time to go. If you keep sleeping you won't be able to leave your friend behind."

Kairi sat up and took several deep breaths, running her hand through her hair.

"You alright there, love?" He asked, and for the first time since she had met him, a hint of actual concern laced his tone.

Kairi stared at him for a few moments until finally she shook her head dismissively. "I'm fine," she muttered before getting up and reaching for her dark, leather jacket. "Let's go."

XXXXXX

Once the plane had taken off and had steadied itself in the air Malik turned to Risa. "So why the sudden need to return to Egypt?"

"It's not as sudden as you think," Risa told him. "I've been planning on going there ever since this whole thing started."

"I see," Malik said, curiosity flickering in his amethyst eyes that were so much like HIS and yet not.

Risa looked away from him and out the window. "Yeah."

There was a period of silence before Malik spoke up once more, his voice hesitant. "Risa… about those marks on your neck…"

Risa's head snapped back and stared at him for several minutes. "How did you….find out?" she asked her right hand reaching up and touching her neck.

"Well…it was Joey's idea….but um…we…kind of saw it through the window to your room when you were examining your neck," Malik stuttered slightly embarrassedly.

"So you peaked," Risa concluded raising an eyebrow.

"No…well…I guess I kind of did," Malik admitted sheepishly.

"Okay…so how much did you see?"

"I saw what my darker self did to you," Malik said with a serious look on his face.

Risa sighed. "So… you know it was Marik, huh?"

"I can think of no other who would put you through such torment," Malik told her. He placed a cool, russet hand on her arm. "Risa… what else has he done to you?"

Risa didn't answer, but her body tensed involuntarily.

"Did he…. Hurt you?" Malik asked.

Risa looked away from him afraid that she'd give something away. "No, Malik….he hasn't done anything to me," she told him in a low voice. "I promise I can handle this on my own okay."

"Then why did you look so frightened yesterday?" Malik asked squeezing her hand.

"Well you know the guy is scary," Risa said in an attempt at a joke.

"Not as frightening as seeing you in pain like this," Malik said. "Not as frightening as the fact that you won't look me in the eye." His voice became softer, like a gentle song. "Right now… I loathe the fact that he shares my face, when I imagine what he has done to cause you such anguish."

Risa forced herself to look at Malik and met his eyes while using every ounce of strength she had to keep from breaking down in front of him. "Malik, he's not you….nor could he ever hope to be a cool as you are," she told him taking several gulps in the process. "He hasn't done anything to me just yet and I will never allow him to have that pleasure."

Malik's tanned hands slid up to cup either side of her face. "If I'm so cool… then why can't you even trust me with the truth?"

"I…I…I don't want to hurt you," Risa admitted feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Then it's true… he did get to you, didn't he?" Malik asked, his soft lavender eyes peering into hers.

Risa's jaw clenched trying to keep her emotions in check but the gentleness of his touch and the tenderness that shone in his eyes caused her to begin to tremble until the tears broke through her defenses and she completely broke down. Every emotional pain that she had experience since the beginning burst forth in a sea of tears.

Malik wrapped his arms around Risa and pulled her into his shoulder and she obligingly wrapped her own arms around him for support. Malik stroked her head tenderly showing her that he wasn't going anywhere until she was finished and just let her cry to her heart's content.

XXXXX

"Stop…" Kairi hissed.

She was lying on a soft bed with satin sheets, black as midnight. Her back pressed against pillows with possibly the finest down. So why should she feel so distressed? Because of the devil that was looming over her, holding her down, taking pleasure in her ever withering resistance.

"Just stop."

"That's what your mouth says, but your body tells me different," Bakura said with an evil grin, relishing in the fact that he could feel her resolve dissolving. He gently reached up and stroked her cheek as he moved his face closer to hers stopped just as their noses touched.

Kairi always tried to hold her breath, for as long as she could whenever he did this. "What do you care what I feel? This whole thing is just a game to you."

"No, my dear light," Bakura murmured. "Marik considers breaking someone a game. I, on the other hand, see it as an art."

Kairi took a quick breath but his scent filled her lungs and her head spun. It might not have been so hard to fight, if she didn't keep remembering a life before this one. One where she and Bakura would meet in secret, very much like this. One where they had been in love. The memories were so vivid and the emotions tied to them were powerful.

Bakura knew that she kept getting these memories and used it to his advantage. As she continued to get those flashes, his hands moved to very specific places on her body. When he found an area where she twitched he kept his hand there while never moving his face.

Kairi's head craned back into the pillows, a strangled noise escaping her throat as his hands traveled across intimate places. Kami…. Her friends had always called her masochistic, but to find it to be true was crushing in of itself.

"Don't feel so discomfited, my light," Bakura murmured, a knowing smirk on his face. "We are but flesh and blood. It's only natural that we abandon reason and allow the instincts of the body to take over. The will can be a powerful thing, as you have so proven in having resisted me for this long. However, I am a very patient man, and I shall never tire of this."

Kairi didn't trust herself to open her mouth at that moment, for fear of making more noises that would only encourage him to push her further. But she should have known her silence would do much more than that.

When she did not respond to his vocal prodding, he allowed his fingers the opportunity to tread across her body even more…reaching and finding areas that were not visible.

She couldn't believe this man. He was determined to take everything from her, even what little pride she had left. She tried biting down on her lip, trying to allow the pain to distract herself from the immense pleasure her body was receiving.

Bakura continued to push her by attacking one area in particular, going at it first fast and then slow. Pretty soon he saw her begin to shudder, wavering from her resolve to not give him pleasure. Then knowing he was almost there he moved his tongue out and with it stroked her bottom lip. At the contact Kairi's restraint shattered and her body lurched forward, wanting him.

"Kairi! Bloody hell, wake up!"

Kairi bolted awake with a sharp gasp. She was hyperventilating and her face felt wet. She closed her eyes and a shuddering sob escaped her lips. He had done it. He had gotten what he wanted from her.

"Hey…are you feeling alright?" Valon asked pulling her into a hug. Kairi didn't answer but silently cried her eyes out uncontrollably into his shoulder. "Come on, Kairi…you're alright…I'm right here."

Valon continued to hold her against him, his warmth gently flowing over her cold skin. He might have said a few things to her here and there that she wouldn't remember later on, but eventually the soft, Australian-accented murmurs and the warm, welcoming scent of him calmed her down.

XXXXX

CM: Sorry for the uber late update. In all honesty we were having writer's block and getting distracted with our other stories. But we do intend to finish this one. So please stay tuned, and please review to let us know you're still out there reading this.


	15. Taking Some Risks

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Taking Some Risks**

_A young red headed girl in a tight full length dress and gold jewelry was sitting in a large room with her heart beating very fast and her head reeling with questions and confusion. She could feel tears demanding to be released but she fought to keep them down. Then she heard a soft voice behind her and turned around to see a familiar face smiling warmly at her and dressed in an Egyptian skirt._

_"M-Malik…this isn't the best time," the girl stated wiping her eyes and looking in the opposite direction._

_"What's the matter, Eris?" He asked her worriedly. He sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is it because of… because Akana never came back?"_

_"Th-that's part of it," Eris replied. "I lost my sister…my brother died to save the country…and now I might have to marry Priest Seto to fulfill my duty as a princess of Egypt."_

_Malik's eyes widened. He looked more than shocked. There were also traces of hurt and disappointment. "But… I thought that he was to marry Akana. Why must you? Can he not choose someone else?"_

_"Malik…you know what happened to my brother…and Akana disappeared two years ago. She's been declared dead. I'm the next in line for the throne but in order to inherit it I must marry someone of royal blood. Seto is the only one in this kingdom of royal blood…and he would be the next in line if it wasn't for me," Eris explained putting her hands on her head. "I-I just don't know what to do."_

_Malik's expression softened and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I know I can never be more to you than a mere servant," he said quietly. "But I promise you, I will always protect you."_

_Eris felt her head on his bare chest and began to cry holding onto him. "Malik…what am I supposed to do?"_

_"Whatever you decide to choose I'll be right here by your side," Malik whispered._

_"Thanks," Eris whispered feeling very warm and safe in his arms._

xxxxxx

"Hey, Risa, wake up."

Risa's eyes opened to find Malik face over her own. "Malik, what time is it?"

"It's six o'clock in the morning," he answered helping her sit up.

"I'm sorry…I kind of passed out there," Risa muttered rubbing her head.

"Well, we're almost there. The pilot said we'll be landing in a few minutes," Malik told her.

"Really? That's nice," Risa said smiling.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. "No nightmares?"

"No," she said thoughtfully. "Just a dream… a happy, yet sad dream."

xxxxxx

_A girl with long dark hair and tanned skin opened her eyes. She sat up in the darkness having sworn that she had heard something moving in the night that had awoken her. A shadow moved passed the window where the moonlight shone clearly through. "Who's there?" She demanded, standing up. "_

_Suddenly she felt someone move behind her and felt the cold steel of a blade press against her throat. "Where's the pharaoh?" A voice hissed in her ear._

_"You…. You must be the one they speak of," she whispered breathlessly._

_She heard him chuckle. "So you've heard of me. I'm honored. Now you will tell me where the pharaoh is if you so value your life."_

_"Take my life if it pleases you, but leave him be," she stated her voice trembling at the thought of this man hurting the pharaoh._

_"You're that devoted to him, are you?" He sneered._

_"Yes. He is my brother and pharaoh. I would give my life for him," she stated._

_"Well, now that changes things." _

_She felt the hands holding her suddenly shift and she was turned around so that she was staring up at the Thief King Bakura. She had never seen him before, only heard stories of him, so seeing him now in person was an indescribable marvel for her. _

_"Very well, but I shall not leave here empty handed."_

_She was given no time to prepare herself when he kissed her lips. She must have gasped because she felt his tongue take a quick dive inside, tasting her. She pushed him away and wiped her hand over her mouth, rejecting the feelings that had risen within her._

_"Now that's what I like to see," Bakura chuckled. "You enjoyed that didn't you…that's why you're not happy. It's like I said…I won't leave empty handed."_

_"Just what is it you want?" She asked him darkly._

_"I would have thought that were obvious," Bakura said with a devilish smirk. "That was your first kiss I just stole, yes?" She flushed but did not answer. "I'll take your silence as yes, it was. I'll return again. And next time, I'll take something else from you."_

_"And what would that be?" She asked, unable to help herself._

_She felt a surge of disquiet when she heard him whisper two words. "Your heart."_

xxxxxx

"Hello…earth to Veronica," a voice said pulling the dark haired girl out of her reverie. "You're going to blow your cover if you keep spacing out like that," the owner of the voice added in a whisper.

"Sven, I'm sorry…I just have a lot on my mind," Veronica replied.

"Didn't that trinket I got at the gift shop help you out at all?" Sven asked.

"A little…. yeah," she admitted.

"No more bad dreams?"

"Not exactly."

He sighed. "Anyway, just remember we got a job here to finish."

"I know that," Veronica snapped, then slapped his hand when he was about to take a bite off the platter she was holding. "And stop sampling the food!"

"Unlike you, I don't get many chances to try out classy stuff like this," he said with a small frown that made him look rather adorable.

Veronica blinked. She did NOT just think that. "Try to keep control of your stomach and when this is over you can have a feast at my place," she whispered, wanting to keep anything from blowing their cover.

"Alright, alright, don't get your undies in such a twist," he consented.

Veronica ignored that comment and resisted the urge to punch him. "Will you two hurry up!" A voice hissed from the kitchen.

"Keep your shirt on, Rufus," Veronica told the hulking blonde male who was currently wearing a chef's uniform.

'Rufus' scowled at her. "If you don't finish this soon I'm leaving you both here."

Veronica rolled her eyes before taking the tray from Sven and walking off. The brunette Australian whistled as he watched her walk away. "I get all tingly when she takes control like that."

Rufus grunted in disgust before he returned to the kitchen.

Veronica made her way past the party guests, offering food when it was asked for. She had just finished serving a couple when she turned and suddenly collided with someone, causing her to nearly drop the tray.

"You should be more careful, frauline," a heavy German accent spoke to her and she stared up into the face of Zigfried himself.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. It won't happen again," Veronica mumbled quickly, bowing her head.

"Very well. You are forgiven," he said flipping his long, lavender hair back over his shoulder. "Carry on now."

Veronica gave one last subjective nod before moving past him.

"Is she new?" Zigfried asked one of his personal body guards.

"Yes, sir. I believe her name was Veronica. She joined the staff just recently."

"She looks somewhat… familiar," Zigfried murmured, watching the young girl's retreat. "Keep an eye on her."

"Yes sir."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Okay so how are we going to get all this stuff?" Malik asked looking over the list that Risa had written up for their trip. "I mean the water alone is going to cost a lot, much less the camel."

"I've been getting an allowance from Pegasus for the last couple years and I really haven't used any of it so we should be just fine," Risa explained to him looking around the small desert town for the right shops.

The two of them had landed about ten minutes before and told the pilot to get comfortable as they'd be there for a couple of days. Risa had quickly written up a list of things she expected they'd need before making the two day journey across the desert.

"Alright…I assume you know where we're going then?" Malik asked handing the list back to her.

"Of course. Until I went to Domino city I had tried to get into that tomb several times…so yeah, I know exactly where it is."

As they reached the market place Risa told Malik to find as much water as he could get as well as two flashlights and she went to get their camel and food. Moments later she had one paid for and started getting food for traveling and packing it onto the back of the camel. Then she waited for Malik to meet up with her near the house of an old friend. As she sat waiting for him a small jewelry shop caught her eye and she glanced over their wares. Almost immediately her eyes fell on a small golden necklace…the millennium necklace.

"How much for the necklace?" Risa asked quickly pointing it out to the shop owner.

"Oh, you have a good eye…that one is 300," the owner told her.

"How about 100," Risa offered as she started to haggle.

"That's much too low…275."

"150."

"225, take it or leave it."

"Deal." Risa took out the proper amount, handed it to the shop owner and took the necklace before going back to her camel.

"What were you doing over there?" Malik asked as she approached. He had just finished placing the water bags on the back of the camel as well as the two flashlights.

"That shop had this on display," Risa answered showing him the millennium necklace.

His eyes widened. "A millennium item…"

"Yep, and I got it for 225…pretty good price to be honest," Risa replied placing it in her pocket. "Any way we should get some sleep before heading out…we'll leave around midnight to avoid being followed."

"Are we staying at the inn then?" Malik asked concerned.

"No…there's too many ways someone could see us that shouldn't…we'll stay here," Risa answered motioning towards the small house. "Bernt said I could use it if I was ever in a bind…otherwise no one stays there."

Malik flushed a little. "I see…"

"No getting perverted thoughts now," Risa told him teasingly.

"N-no, of course I wasn't!" He said hurriedly. "I would never…"

"Anyway…let's get some rest. We have a long ride ahead of us," Risa said tying down the camel and walking into the house. "No worries, I'm the only one that knows that desert like the back of my hand. There's no way we'll be followed without me seeing."

Malik smiled and after a minute of standing alone outside he gave himself a little shake and followed her inside. _"I just hope that statement applies to Marik as well,"_ he thought worriedly. _"Having him find us is the last thing we need."_

xxxxxxxx

Shortly after arriving, a party was thrown for Zigfried for the success his company was about to experience thanks to the program he now had. During the festivities Kairi posing as Veronica managed to slip away in order to begin her 'cleaning' duties. She went through room after room cleaning and searching through every inch of it she could reach. As she was finishing up a large room that looked like a study, there was a soft sound behind her as someone entered the room.

"Um…what are you doing in here?" a young boy asked as he entered the room. "I thought this room wasn't supposed to be cleaned until later."

"Well, better sooner than later, I always say," Kairi told the young boy. She guessed she should have expected to bump into at least ONE person. But she wished she could have done THAT later rather than sooner.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around," he said. "Are you new or something?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Kairi said.

His eyes widened. "Then you have no business doing cleaning. Only maids that have been around for several months at least are allowed to be in these areas of the house."

_"Well…. Crap,"_ Kairi thought.

"Why are you in here? A maid of your status should be helping out with the party downstairs," the kid declared. "I should go get my brother…he'll know what to do."

"Wait, kid," Kairi said stopping him. She heaved a sigh. Then an idea came to her. Maybe she could use this kid. "Look, there's something that your brother has that belongs to a very good friend of mine."

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"The program that he's about to release, it belongs to the Kaiba Corporation," Kairi revealed.

"You're lying," he said heatedly. "Are you saying my brother stole it?"

"No, he didn't." She hesitated only for a moment. "Someone else did and probably sold it to him. If the program gets released, all Seto's hard work will be ruined and he'll be disgraced."

"Well, what do you care? What's your relation with Kaiba?" He asked.

Kairi closed her eyes, playing it up for all it was worth. "He is my guardian, and like an older brother to me."

The kid stared at her for several minutes having his brain go back and forth fighting with himself as he understood what it meant to want to help his brother. "Alright…so you want the program…I guess I won't tell my brother about it but I don't know if I should help you," he said finally.

"Just answer this one thing Leon. Would this be the first time your brother tried something like this…hurt Kaiba for his own personal goals…and leave you out of the loop?" Kairi asked in a low voice.

"…No…" he admitted. "Alright…I know where the program is but I might not be able to help you get in…I'll take you as far as I can though." Kairi smiled gratefully and stretched a hand toward him…he nervously took her hand and shook it. "I'm Leon by the way…Leon von Shroeder."

"I'm Kairi Mitsuko…it's a pleasure to meet you Leon," Kairi replied.

After that the two headed down the hall hoping that they wouldn't run into anyone along the way.

Leon led her to a room with large double oak doors. "This is my brother's room. But it's tightly secured. Not even I can get into it."

"Leave that to me," Kairi told him. She pulled out a card from her pocket and held it up to the door. "Dispel."

There was a flash and the doors creaked open without the sound of alarms going off.

"How did you do that?" Leon asked in awe.

"Magic," Kairi told him before walking into the room. She almost wanted to puke. Everything was lavender. The bed sheets, the carpets, the walls, the drapes on the windows. It was utterly sickening. "Kid, I'm not gonna lie. Your brother has a weird sense of taste."

Leon didn't reply though he completely agreed with her. "The program is right here," he told her pointing out a lavender desk that sat in the center of the room.

Kairi walked over to it and deftly opened the top drawer, where she found the stolen program, sitting neatly on top of everything else in there. Kairi heaved a sigh of relief and picked up the program before turning around and expressing her gratitude toward Leon. As soon as she did she noticed a little statue that had a most peculiar necklace around its neck.

Kairi was about to ask Leon about it, but she was stopped when suddenly she sensed they were not alone.

"Vell, vell, what have we here?"

Not a second later, Kairi was under the point of ten guns, and the malicious gaze of Zigfried.

Kairi grabbed Leon and held a switchblade, kindly supplied by Valon, at his throat. "Don't move," she told them all.

"Hey, what are you-" Leon began but Kairi cut him off.

"Do you WANT him to know you were helping me?" She hissed in his ear and he quieted down.

"N-no…"

"Then just play along for now."

"You really think that I'd let you leave with my program just because you hold a hostage?" Zigfried asked shaking his head. "If so then you are highly mistaken…I'm not about to lose the one program capable of putting Herr Kaiba finally out of business."

Kairi sneered at him in disgust. "You would really choose a program over your own brother? You sicken me."

"Your opinion does not matter, frauline," Zigfired told her smiling. "And right now, you are at a disadvantage. Now, you have two choices, either I open fire, or you can give up and possibly live through this."

Kairi was considering taking up his challenge, but the feel of Leon trembling in her arms made her think twice. She released Leon and whispered, "Go."

Leon moved away from her and out of the line of fire secretly hoping that she had a plan for escaping. He really didn't want her to get hurt and hoped his brother really wouldn't really have fired with him there.

"Good, frauline, now hand over the program and you won't be filled with holes," Zigfried threatened.

Kairi reached into her pocket, took out the program and held it in the air so that all in the group could see. "Now I understand why Seto doesn't like you," she muttered as her free hand secretly slipped into her other pocket. "You're a despicable person who would risk the safety of his own family just to get his personal revenge."

"Ah, well…that's how the world turns, frauline."

"Maybe but that's not how things will turn out here," Kairi replied. Then with a quick smile at Leon she pulled up a card shouted its name and vanished behind a cloud of darkness that engulfed the entire room.

There was much shouting and confusion for several minutes. The men were too afraid to shoot for fear of accidentally hitting themselves or their employer. Once the darkness finally lifted, Kairi had vanished.

"Blast it," Zigfried murmured. "This was not what I had expected." Then his eyes widened in horror. "My precious, my beloved gem. IT IS GONE!"

It was true, the mannequin that had once held the sparkling lavender gem now sat bare.

"FIND HER!" he shouted at the men.

"Yes sir!"

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kairi, meanwhile, was running through the crowd of guests towards the kitchen. When she opened it she saw Raphael sitting in front of the stove. "Okay, it's time to go. Where's Valon?"

"I don't know…he left a few minutes ago…probably to go grab himself a date," Raphael replied.

"Either way we're getting out of here now," Kairi commanded making sure she had the two items securely in her pockets. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Not until I have finished my soufflé," Raphael declared.

"What?"

"You placed me in this kitchen, once I start cooking I won't leave until the food is complete."

"We don't have time for this."

Suddenly the kitchen filled with Zigfried's men all looking rather ticked off. "You have nowhere to run, frauline. Now give me the program and my precious stone."

Kairi stood there looking between the group of men nervously trying to decide what card she should use…if any. All of a sudden there was a loud crash as Valon came flying through the door on his motorcycle amidst a hail of bullets. "Come on, guys! Get on."

"My soufflé…is ruined," Raphael muttered darkly. "You morons ruined my wonderful soufflé." With that he pulled out a large gun and cocked it menacingly while hopping on the back of the motorcycle behind Valon and Kairi.

"Hold on tight," Valon called out revving up the engine and blasting through the guards.

On the back Raphael was steaming as he fired paint balls at all the men he could reach…Kairi wouldn't let them take real guns. As Valon revved past Zigfried, Kairi shot him a smirk and the "Hail Hitler" salute.

Valon drove the three of them out of there, easily maneuvering around the screaming crowd of people who were now in panic at the sounds of gunshot. BOOM! Suddenly the kitchen exploded, causing Zigfried and all his men were knocked down in a shower of dough and other nameless ingredients.

"You idiots!" Zigfried shouted. "You let them escape!"

The men didn't answer. They were too busy groaning in pain, covered in stickiness and red paint.

"And why isn't that paint lavender?" Zigfried wailed. "WHY?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

Later that evening, the three checked into a decent motel with two separate bedrooms connected by a door for better privacy and celebrated their victory by ordering pizza.

"I gotta tell ya, luv, that was really something," Valon commended after taking a bite out of his food and a sip of his beverage. "You should start a business of yer own."

"I can't believe you actually pulled it off," Raphael stated bluntly as he relaxed on the bed he claimed for himself.

"If it wasn't for my father's connections this probably wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly as it did," Kairi stated looking down at the program in her hands. She would need to find some way to get it to Seto later.

"Fact remains though, you got what you wanted," Valon pointed out. "And you even managed to pick up a nice little bonus." Valon approached her from behind and landed his lips on her cheek. "You did well, so lighten up a bit."

Kairi shook her head, strangling the feelings that had bubbled up from the show off PDA. "I'm going to bed," she said before going to her room and shutting the door.

"You're an idiot, Valon," Raphael muttered. "Why is it that you always have to go for the most bothersome women?"

"What ya talking about, mate?" Valon asked with a smirk. "Those ones are always the most fun."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Around midnight, after Kairi was sure the pair was asleep she gathered her things up, preparing to leave in the middle of the night. She figured she could take Valon's bike and return it later… someday.

"You planning on going somewhere?" a familiar Australian accent asked.

"What's it to you?" Kairi replied coldly continuing her packing.

"Well…I'd say it's pretty rude for you to just leave after we helped you out back there."

"If you're worried about your payment you'll get it after all this is over," Kairi replied. "Until then I don't see much reason in involving you two any longer."

"You aren't involving us…we're involving ourselves. I mean I haven't had this much fun since working for Dartz," Valon explained shrugging his shoulders. "Besides you're a lot of fun…especially when you're spitting fire. It's really quite charming."

"I hate to disappoint you, but this isn't me," Kairi told him. "This is just some weird twisted version of myself. It's not real."

"How can you be so sure?" He asked her. "How do you know this isn't the real you?"

His question gave her pause. What if he was right? She shook her head. "In any case, there's no point in me sticking around."

"What about this?" Valon asked, pulling out the millennium key out of his shirt. "Didn't you say you wanted this?"

"I'll get by without it," Kairi retorted. She wasn't sure how, but she would.

Valon heaved a sigh and removed the key from around his neck. "Here then…take it."

"What? I thought you didn't want to give it up," Kairi expressed in surprise.

"Well I was keeping it partially because I knew it'd keep you around…now that you don't care about it…there's no reason for me to keep it," Valon replied with a shrug.

"You're sure?"

Valon nodded holding it out to her. Kairi stared at him for several moments before stepping forward took take hold of it. Her fingers closed over the metal, still warm from his skin. No sooner had they gotten a grip, she found Valon's other hand close over hers. She looked up at him scrutinizing, wondering if this was some prank. She was startled to find his face oddly serious.

"Stay with me, Kairi," he said softly.

Kairi was taken aback. "What?"

"You and I are cut from the same cloth. We've both lost something important to us, and we've both been manipulated by the higher ups who like playing god. You just want to be free from it all, right? I want that for you too."

She did want to be free. More than anything. His hand felt so warm upon her frozen skin. "What are you saying?"

Valon continued. "I'm asking you to be my woman."

Within the dark depths of Kairi's heart, she felt a stirring within her and suddenly she wanted the warmth of his hand to cover her whole being. Then she remembered the face of Sachio and she pulled her hand out of his.

"Don't screw with me! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"I don't care. I know that I like you and want the best for you…that's all I need to know," Valon replied placing one of his hands on her shoulder. "I don't want to see you get hurt…by anyone."

Kairi's heart gave another flutter and she found it very hard to want to pull away from him a second time. She stared at him for a long time unable to find any words to say and feeling that she really wanted to feel his warmth, to savor that feeling.

"Please, Kairi… stay with me," Valon supplicated in a whisper.

Kairi felt her breath catch in her throat as she whispered, "Alright…I'll stay."

Valon smiled and before she knew what was happening she felt Valon gently press his lips up against hers in a warmth that she had never known before. She felt herself return the kiss as she realized that there was nothing stopping them. The millennium ring stayed silent and she pushed any and all thoughts about Bakura to the back of her mind, relishing in the love that was around her.

When Valon finally pulled away he whispered, "Sweet dreams, love." Then he turned and walked out of the room satisfied that he was going to spend a lot more time with her.

As she watched him leave, Kairi felt her heart thumping in her chest at high speeds and her breathing was coming in quick succession. As soon as he left the room Kairi felt the ring around her neck burn and she remembered that Bakura probably knew about that little moment and became afraid for Valon's safety.

"I will stay for awhile…but the moment things get too risky…I'll be gone. I-I don't want you to get hurt either…Valon," she mumbled out loud. Then she turned out her light and went to bed glad once again that Bakura could no longer invade her dreams.

xxxxxxxxx

CRASH!

The table that had been set with fine plates ware flew across the room, with a force that could have hospitalized any average human being, where it smashed into dozens of pieces along with everything that had rested atop it. The man who had accomplished such a feat stood seething, dark shadows of vengeance circling him like a dreaded miasma. The negative energy was visibly crackling around his being, pulsing with each ragged breath he took.

"I take it your little light took interest in one of her new companions," Marik mocked as he stood at the doorway watching the sight, or at least a projection of him.

"Now would not be a good time to test my patience, Marik," Bakura snapped back.

"Hmmm…I don't see why not…after all it's times like this where you're the easiest to irritate," Marik replied smirking. "Besides I'm not exactly there so you really can't do anything to me."

"Don't think my demons wouldn't be able to hunt you down and find you," Bakura threatened.

"You have no one to blame but yourself, thief," Marik reproached. "I warned you of this outcome. Yet you were so sure that your little kitten would be faithful. After all, Bakura, a woman's heart is a fickle thing. They're always changing their minds."

"Just like your pet am I right?" Bakura jabbed angrily. "I hear she's getting close and cuddly with Wheeler as well as your other half."

"The difference is, I intend to do something about it," Marik retorted. "What about you, Bakura? Will you continue letting your female roam free while knowing that she's probably in the arms of another man?"

"Heh…unlike you Marik…I have a use for my light outside of here. I will continue to allow her free range until I feel the time is right. At that time she will receive her just punishment for fraternizing with men like that. She will learn that I am the only one allowed to have her," Bakura declared.

"It looks to me like you have absolutely no control over her," Marik chuckled. "I am closing in on my pet now…in a few days time you'll see the kind of control I have first hand."

"You do that, Marik…in the meantime I think I'll go on a little man hunt myself," Bakura thought to himself picturing his targets before summoning his shadow monsters and sending them out to capture them.

XXXXXXXXXX

CM: Oh noes! What is Bakura planning to do? And what have the others been up to? Stay tuned to find out in the next installment!


	16. Finding the Balance

CM: I sincerely apologize that it's taken this long to update this story. College has been rough and my co writer got married so we're hard pressed to get a chapter together. Anyway, I hope there are still people reading this and that you enjoy the chapter. We're definitely going to try to finish this story... so long as people are still reading it that is...

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Finding the Balance

When Ryou woke up to find Kairi, along with both Raphael and Valon, gone he was devastated. It seemed as though the harder he tried to help her, the more she pushed him away. He didn't doubt it was because of Bakura's influence. It didn't matter though if she wanted him to or not, he was going to help one way or another.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Alister. He claimed he had remained behind simply because he didn't feel like putting up with both Kairi and Valon at once. Now he was sitting on the hotel bed watching as Ryou was about to walk out the door to go who knows where.

"Kairi's trying to take this whole thing on by herself, I know she is," Ryou replied angrily. "But she can't do it alone...so I'm going after her. I won't let her fight alone!"

"Stay put already, you're only going to get in the way," Alister replied irately. "Even if you did manage to catch up with them, what can you do? You're a weak kid who can't even keep track of that annoying woman."

"I can't just let him do whatever he wants," Ryou insisted adamantly.

"Who's HE?" Alister asked.

"Someone I failed to protect her from," Ryou said bitterly. "I don't what it is he's planning, but I know that whatever it is, he's involving Kairi in it. He's hurt so many people in the past. I'll do whatever it takes to stop him this time."

"Are you truthful in what you say?" a new voice asked.

Both boys jumped when they saw a robed figure standing in the corner of the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Alister demanded.

"Are you truthful in what you say," he repeated ignoring Alister's question.

"Yes, I don't care what it is I have to do, I will protect Kairi," Ryou declared before turning towards the door.

"Wait, if you'll allow me; there is a way to stop your other self," the robed stranger stated clearly and stepping forward. The boys were surprised to see that he had dark tanned skin and wore a white turban on his head. "Listen to what I have to say. The best way to stop him and free your friend from his evil is to gather the Millennium items and the Tears of Rah."

"The tears of Ra… you mean those stones Kairi has been researching?" Ryou asked aloud. "So if these stones are collected and the items reunited, then there's a chance to stop him?"

The stranger nodded. "Yes, however, this will also give Bakura a chance to achieve his own goals, therefore he will also be seeking to unite the millennium items as well as the seven tears. You," he said pointing a finger at Ryou, "Are one of the seven chosen by the tears. Therefore it is you who must ensure that the carrier of light not fall to the darkness."

"Carrier of light?" Ryou repeated stunned. "Kairi? I'll never let her fall to that bastard!"

"Good, now you must hurry. There is an item located near here, but the nearest stone is far away. When you find the item, I will again appear and direct you to your next destination." The hooded man turned and began walking away, again ignoring Alister's protests. "Not much time remains...before the chosen day arrives. Let us pray, that we will make it in time."

"Wait, who are you?" Ryou asked.

"I am the previous bearer of the millennium key, Shaddi," he answered. "Hurry young warrior. Time is of the essence." And he was gone, just like that.

"What was that all about?" Alister muttered, but caught Ryou going for the door again. "Hey, wait just a minute…"

"I'm going," Ryou said resolutely. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Tch, you're all a major pain in the butt," Alister muttered. "Fine I'll go, but only cause that friend of yours promised me a reward for looking out for you."

* * *

Tristan sat on the couch in the Mouto living room, flipping through the television channels while Tea and Yugi sat amongst a pile of books. "We could use a little help here, Tristan," Tea told him irritably.

"Ease up, I'm looking for any suspicious criminal reports," Tristan told her. "If Marik and Bakura decide to hit anywhere we'll know immediately. Plus, you never know, we might accidentally find Risa and Kairi too."

"You don't really think they'd stoop so low as to do something criminal, do you?" Yugi asked.

"If those two threatened to hurt the ones they cared about, then I don't doubt it. After all, Risa did take your puzzle, Yugi. And Kairi is wanted for stealing from Kaiba Corp.," Tristan reminded.

The front door opened and a blonde head popped through it. "Hey guys, guess who's back?"

"Joey!" Yugi and Tea exclaimed jumping up from their open books. "You're back! Where did you go?"

"I tracked down Risa and followed her on a plane to Pegasus's," Joey answered scratching his head. "He had a special stone and we took a few days looking through all his stuff before Malik showed up and we found it. Next morning I woke up and they were both gone. Not even Pegasus knows where she went."

"Well, at least Malik is with her," Tea said with some small relief.

"Right, and Ryou is probably with Kairi since they disappeared about the same time," Yugi surmised.

"Going after a girl in need like that, I never thought you were such a prince," Tristan joshed getting up from the couch. He went over to his best friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back, man."

"Thanks, Tristan. So did I miss anything?" Joey asked them.

They quickly explained to him everything that Ishizu had told them about the Tears of Ra, and about Risa and Kairi and their part in all of this. By the time they were done, Joey's head was spinning.

"Wow, that's a lot to digest."

"Yes, but unfortunately I don't think they know what is actually going on," Tea pointed out. "They're just going along trying to fix all of this and they probably don't even understand why it's happening. I just hope this all ends soon."

"As do I," Yami agreed entering the room. "Bakura is closer to this whole thing than you can imagine. He will stop at nothing to assure that his goals are reached. I'm sure he is using Marik's hatred for us to assist him in this endeavor."

"The guy's like a cockroach, no matter how many times we squash him, he just seems to keep coming back," Joey groaned. "And having Marik on his side makes it ten times worse. I'll never forget how much trouble that psychopath caused us at Battle City. Thankfully we got Yug and the Pharoah on our side though. We can't lose!"

"Yeah, but think about it," Tristan spoke up. "If the Pharoah has his own body, that means Bakura and Marik probably have bodies of their own too. Meaning they don't need to rely on Malik or Ryou anymore."

"Precisely," Atem stated. "And that worries me, especially how close both of them are to Risa and Kairi."

"What do you mean?" Joey asked confused.

"Risa and Kairi never met Marik or Bakura until now, how can they be close?" Yugi added just as confused.

"Not in this life they haven't," Atem agreed. "But in the past..."

"Everyone, look!" Tea exclaimed pointing to the television screen.

The television was on the Discovery Channel and from the looks of things, it was a documentary of some sort of native tribe. _"For centuries the jungles of South America have held wondrous mysteries waiting to be discovered. Over the last few decades, anthropologists have studied the many cultures that inhabit…"_

"I can't watch stuff like this," Joey said already beginning to lose interest. "Just the way they talk, I feel like I'm back in the classroom."

"What did you see, Tea?" Atem asked her.

"Just before the documentary started, they showed a picture of a rock," Tea said. "Except it didn't look like anything I've ever seen before…. I can't really describe it, but it was… really red. Like fire and blood trapped in stone."

"It's possible they might show it again," Yugi proposed.

"Let's keep watching then," Tristan said.

They gathered around the television set and turned up the volume to hear over Joey's bored moans as he tried to ignore it. At first the voice droned on and on about the culture of the tribe and Tristan began to agree with Joey and was about to leave when suddenly the topic changed.

Now these are a very religious people with roots going back thousands of years. It is their belief that this large piece of blood red mica like stone is the physical form of their God. Many believe it is the cause of the village's fortune. When it darkens, horrible ailments and disasters plague the village, but when it brightens, a good harvest or new source of water is discovered. Amazingly..."

"I believe we've heard enough," Atem commented and Yugi turned off the set in agreement.

"So, you think that's one of them?" Tristan asked scratching his head.

"It's certainly possible," Atem stated. "At any rate, that stone does not appear ordinary. And it's best for us to start somewhere."

"So, what? Does this mean we're gonna travel all the way to South America to steal this rock god?" Joey asked.

"It does sound pretty bad when you say it like that," Tea groaned.

"You think we should tell Kaiba about this?" Yugi asked Atem.

The Pharaoh shook his spiked head. "As much as I would like to see Kaiba come to reason and aid us on our quest, we don't have the time to try to convince him. He'll need to come around on his own. In the mean time, Ishizu and Odion will be able to help us get to where we need to go."

"Alright then, if we're going to go then let's get moving," Joey said heading for the door. "That stone won't steal itself you know."

* * *

"...and at 3:00 you're scheduled for a small press conference regarding the recent theft," a young woman said finishing off a list of required items from her clipboard.

She was standing in Kaiba's spacious office and waited for the head of Kaiba Corp. to respond. He was seated in his tall backed chair behind his metal desk while his brother sat nearby on the window sill staring out over the city.

"Is that it?" Kaiba asked harshly.

"Y-yes sir," the woman replied nervously. Speaking directly to her boss was always her least favorite part of the day; mostly because he scared her.

"Then get out, I have a lot to do and I don't need you wasting my time," he responded coldly.

"R-right away, sir." With that she quickly turned around and headed for the door. Before opening it though, she paused and turned back. "Oh, and...this came in for you." She held up a small package and wore a questioning look.

"Bring it here then return to your work," he ordered after a moment's pause. She did so quickly and then left without a word.

Seto propped his elbows on the surface of his desk and rubbed his temples. He'd been getting very little sleep the past several days, and it was all because of that runaway trouble maker. The police still hadn't caught her. She was amazingly elusive for having her face on every wanted ad on television. He'd expect no less from the adopted daughter of a crime lord.

"If I ever get my hands on her, I swear she'll rue the day she ever met me at that orphanage," Seto muttered.

"You don't really mean that, do you, brother?" Mokuba asked walking over to him. "I'm sure she has a good reason, maybe when she gets back she'll explain it. You can't just throw her away."

"Mokuba, she can single-handedly bring down my entire company," Seto explained. "If she had the gull to steal from me...then she won't think twice about shutting us down."

"But what reason would she have to do something like that?" Mokuba asked not understanding. "She was our best friend while were living in the terrible place. And even when her dad was making her do all that horrible stuff, in the end she didn't betray us."

"People will do anything for money," Seto said dispassionately. "And how do we know she wasn't just using us as a get out of jail free card?"

"Kairi's not like that!" Mokuba insisted.

"She's never been open, so how do you know what she's like?" Seto pointed out. "If you want to save her so badly then you figure out what's going on and drag her back her to explain. I have a company to run and a thief to arrest."

Mokuba gave a sigh of defeat and went back to staring out the window at the city below.

Seto looked at the package. He didn't remember ordering anything. There was no return address. But the package should have gone through all the mandatory screenings to ensure it was nothing dangerous of life threatening that an assassin might send. He retrieved an envelope cutter from his desk and deftly sliced through the packaging tape before flipping the lid of the box open.

Inside he found a disk, a chess piece and a small piece of paper. Ignoring the other two items, he lifted the disk and looked it over before shooting to his feet in his surprise.

"Seto, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked concerned.

Kaiba didn't answer as he deftly swept up the piece of paper and began reading the hasty scrawl.

_"Thought you might want this back. Sorry, but I won't be able to come home for a while. You wouldn't believe me if I told you why, but I hope you'll forgive me. In the meantime, please keep this safe for me until I get back, okay?"_

_-KM_

Kaiba crumpled up the paper and chucked it across the room into the trash bin before sitting heavily back in his seat. Mokuba wanted to ask what was wrong but decided against it. Kaiba rubbed his forehead as he looked over the disk and thought about the letter. Then glancing back into the small box, he spotted the chess piece again and reached inside to grab it.

"Keep it safe," he muttered under his breath. "Idiot."

* * *

"Come on, Malik, let's get a move on," Risa called from the front door as she pulled on her sun protection on the head.

"I'm coming…just give me a second," Malik called back. Moments later he appeared in his traveling clothes and a very red face…apparently he hadn't gotten too much sleep as Risa was sleeping just a few feet away from him on the floor.

Risa busied herself making sure the camel was packed properly with seemingly no problems about their sleeping arrangement. Risa had spent several years sleeping in the same room with five guys her age and older when she went to live her guardian before finding out she had living relatives. She gave no thought to the fact that such sleeping arrangements weren't normal and she was pretty clueless toward Malik's reaction.

Ten minutes later, the two were riding away into the desert toward the tomb and hopefully the answer to ending the horrible nightmare they were living in.

They traveled along mostly in silence for a long time, only stopping long enough to gather their bearings before heading off again. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Malik asked after seven hours of traveling in the sun.

"Of course, the tomb was located west of the city and that's in the direction the sun sets in. So naturally we travel half the day with the sun behind us and then travel with it in front of us until nightfall," Risa explained easily.

"Okay…just checking. It wouldn't help us if we got lost out here after all," Malik pointed out.

"I know…don't forget though that I've had years of experience traversing this desert."

Malik nodded and smiled at her, happy to find that she was acting like her normal self and all the pain Marik had caused seemed to have finally worn off. They continued to travel westward until night fell and they stopped to get some rest and allow the camel to rest as well.

"I wonder what my sister and Odion are doing," Malik wondered aloud as he helped Risa set up the one tent they had been able to bring along.

"Knowing them, they're probably helping out Yugi and others to figure out what's going on," Risa said with a smile.

"Well, if that's the case, I hope they're having luck with it and that they are safe," Malik hoped. "Though, if the Pharaoh is with them, they should be alright."

"I'm sure that Marik and Bakura aren't stupid enough to attack either one of them with the Pharaoh on high alert," Risa told him reassuringly. "I'm sure there's no reason to worry about with those two. If nothing else Odion will tear Marik apart if he so much as hears his voice."

"I doubt that but thanks anyway," Malik laughed. She was right though. Odion and Ishizu were probably the last people Marik wanted to tangle with…next to the Pharaoh at least.

By this time they had finished setting up camp and climbed into the small tent they had set up. "Hey Malik before I forget I want you to hold onto the millennium items for me," Risa told him holding out the necklace and eye. "If we do run into Marik at one point or another it'd be really easy for him to take them if I have them. This way he won't know where they are."

"If you say so," Malik answered worriedly taking the items from her. "I sure hope we won't have to worry about him though. You didn't see any sign of him out here have you?"

"No nothing points to us being followed by anyone," Risa replied looking out of the opening toward the vast expanse of sand as far as the eye could see.

Suddenly she felt cool fingers on her neck placed right over the burning mark. Risa nearly sighed; it felt like rubbing aloe on a burn. "Has it been bothering you lately?" he asked with concern.

"Not really…it burns every now and again but for the most part it's just fine," Risa told him reaching up to move his hand from her neck despite the fact that it felt so good.

When she grabbed his hand to move it, he shifted his hand just enough to catch hers and turn her around. "You don't have to hide your pains from me okay…I can't help you if you don't let me know what's going on," Malik whispered holding her hand in his own cooling hands.

"I'm not hiding anything from you. I really haven't felt much pain from this…at least not since I got the dream catcher and millennium items," Risa told him quickly.

"I'm glad to hear that," Malik said with a soft smile. "I don't think I could bear it if he caused you any more pain. Haunting me is one thing, but haunting you is unforgivable."

Risa stared at the ground smiling to herself. "Thanks, Malik…I'm glad to know that I've got friends who want to help," she mumbled as her face reddened. "As long as you don't get hurt because of me I'll welcome all the help you can give me."

"I… think I know where I would like to start," he said, and a faint touch of scarlet could be seen blooming beneath his russet skin.

"Really? Where would that be?" Risa asked

"Perhaps with this," he murmured softly. He leaned forward but stopped a fraction of an inch away from her face. It was his way of letting her know that it was her choice and he was not about to force anything on her, no matter how small.

Risa inhaled his spicy scent and felt herself gravitating toward his motionless face. She hesitated just before reaching him but took a deep breath of his smell and pushed on. Their faces connected in a lukewarm kiss that spread throughout Risa's body cooling off all the intense heat she had been experiencing until then. This time around she didn't feel any pain erupt in her neck and the moment lasted until they gently pulled apart for air.

Risa's insides were fluttering, but not just with the ecstasy the kiss had provided her. She also felt a stab of guilt when she remembered Joey's smiling face and his warm cocoa brown eyes. How he had held her in his arms so gently.

Suddenly the mark on her neck erupted and Risa reached up to try to ease the pain. It stayed burning for quite some time as Malik placed his own hands on it to try to help. However, the only reprieve she received was when she finally passed out.

* * *

"And what are we doing here again?" Alister asked Ryou.

"Weren't you listening?" Ryou said not taking notice in the aggravation laced in Alister's tone. "Shadi has already explained to us that we need to find the millennium item. It's the only way to help Kairi."

"Why are you so obsessed with helping her?" Alister asked. "She left you behind."

"I know but that's because she's in trouble and doesn't want me to get hurt. That's just the way she is. I want to make sure I do everything I can to help her out," Ryou explained while looking every which way trying to find the scales.

"Whatever man, you're whipped," Alister muttered.

Ryou's face turned red. "So what if I am? At least I have someone worth protecting." Alister's eyes widened and Ryou realized he must have accidentally touched upon a sore subject. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. But please try to understand. I… really care about her. I don't want to see her suffer the way I did for so long under that demon's influence. If you like, you can go back to your friends. I can do this alone, if need be."

Alister humphed but pointed out a small building just ahead of them that read 'Antiques.' In the little window stood several different types of objects including some old looking scales. "Look if we're going to find this thing that might be a good place to start," he muttered rolling his eyes.

Ryou looked in the direction he was pointing and got excited at the sight of the different scales. He ran over to the shop and scanned the window quickly hoping against hope that the gold scales were there. He gave up, however, just as Alister walked up to him. "It's not here," Ryou muttered. "Let's go look somewhere else."

"You won't really know if it's here unless you go inside and ask," Alister said heaving a sigh.

He then went inside followed by Ryou who looked like he really didn't want to go inside at all. Inside they found themselves surrounded by many items that looked to be at least 100 years old…some things looked even older. At the front desk they found a tall lanky man cleaning up a small pocket watch. He hair was pure white and he had smile wrinkles on his face that showed he had a laugh for everything.

He glanced up at them as they approached and smiled warmly before asking, "Is there something I can do for you lads? If nothing else I can at least interest you in this 100 year old pocket watch. It's in mint condition and has withstood the ages to make it here to belong to you." It was quite clear this guy was an antique fanatic.

"Actually we're looking for something in particular," Ryou told the man, pulling out a piece of paper with a drawing on it. "We're looking for a pair of scales with this symbol on it."

The man's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah yes, I believe I do have a pair of scales like that. Came across them just recently as a matter of fact." He went and rummaged around a bit before pulling out what Ryou knew and recognized as the millennium scales. "Quite in fine condition these are."

"That's exactly what we've been looking for!" Ryou exclaimed, feeling a surge of hope.

"How much is it?" Alister asked as a smile sneakily creped onto his face.

"It's 50000 ryo," the man replied with a smile.

Ryou's face fell and he nervously chewed on his lip. "Um….we can't pay for that much," he muttered shamefacedly.

"You can't? Hmm….then how about this? We play a little game and if you win you can take these for free," the owner said happily. Then his face went serious and he whispered, "But if you lose…you'll pay for it…with your lives."

Ryou and Alister's faces grew grave and they both felt sweat bead their faces in their fear. Then all of a sudden the owner broke into a smile and started laughing hysterically. "Oh, you should see the looks on your faces. I was just kidding. You'd only need to pay the actual price is all."

"Alright, I accept," Ryou agreed, not wanting to commit Alister to anything.

"Very good, come sit with me lad," the man said sitting down on an area of open floor space.

Ryou did so and sat in front of the man while Alister remained standing, watching them silently.

The man sat the scales down in between him and Ryou. "Everything in the world has a balance, whether living or non-living. Without balance, the world would fall into chaos. The point of this game is I shall give you the name of something and you have to name the thing that balances it. They will start off as easy, but get progressively harder. If you miss three times, its game over."

Ryou nodded. "I understand."

The man took a deep breath and faced his hands toward the scales causing the immediate area to darken ever so slightly. "Now let's begin. Balance light."

As he spoke a stream of light wrapped around itself on one side of the scales making it tip slightly.

"Darkness," Ryou answered and immediately a stream of darkness appeared on the other side forcing the scales to once again be balanced.

"Good. Now balance friendship." A picture of a group of friends appeared on the right side.

"Solitude." One lone person appeared on the left side.

They continued on in this manner for at least 20 minutes each question a little tougher than the last. Ryou missed two of the questions and was sweating pretty hard as the last question came.

"Balance yourself."

Ryou started as a miniature figure of him appeared on one side of the scales. He closed his eyes, thinking. What balanced him? Bakura perhaps? The two were pretty much opposite. …No. It had to be something else. Something that balanced him… that completed him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the man.

"Kairi Mitsuko," he stated clearly.

The man smiled as a little female figure appeared on the left side and the scales started moving to balance. At first it appeared as if it would be slightly off balance but then in the end they became completely balanced and Ryou sighed in relief.

"Very good…you won the game. You may take the scales…as well as my heart," the man said holding out a knife.

Ryou blanched and started stuttering and Alister raised his eyebrow in confusion. The man broke out into laughter again and put the knife away. "Come on, young man…do you honestly think I'd be willing to die just because I lost once? No, the key is perseverance my lad. If at first you don't succeed try and try again."

Ryou was heartened by his words and he took the scales. "Thank you very much."

The man bid them farewell and the two left the shop, both rather glad to be on their way.

"So now what?" Alister asked Ryou.

"I'm not sure," Ryou admitted. "Perhaps we should find Yugi and the others. They might know what to do to help Kairi."

As soon as he spoke they were met by creatures of the shadows and a voice called out. "The only ones in need of help are the two of you."

"Bakura," Ryou whispered feeling his heart jump up in his throat.

Alister glanced at the fear on Ryou's face and knew that this was the man Kairi was afraid of. Then just as suddenly as the shadows appeared, they vanished and the two young men vanished without a trace.

CM: Poor Ryou, and poor Alister… What does Bakura have planned for them? Stay tuned to find out!


	17. Return to Darkness

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Return to Darkness

"So this is it? I'm not seeing any opening here," Malik said exasperatedly.

"That's the problem I ran into before now. This time, however, I know what I'm doing," Risa told him as she moved her hands along the surface of the pyramid. In no time her hand found an area where her hand sank into the pyramid itself. Brushing away the sand that had accumulated there she revealed a small hole.

"What's that?" Malik asked surprised.

"That…I'm assuming is the lock to the door. The key is right here," Risa answered pulling back her sleeve and putting her hand into the hole. Moments later there was a loud click and a small doorway opened next to the hole. "Vuala instant doorway."

Malik laughed at her enthusiasm and removed the two flashlights from their packs. "So lead the way oh fearless leader," he chuckled handing her one of the flashlights.

"Thanks Malik…let's get moving," Risa said feeling the familiar excitement rising inside of her at the prospect of a new place to investigate.

They moved along single file stopping every so often to by pass a trap or to read the walls to understand what was coming or look for possible clues. The farther in they traveled the more they stopped as Risa kept getting flashes of a time far before theirs. She saw a little red headed girl trying to grab a fruit and falling but was caught by a little boy. She saw a room filled with people while someone who looked like Yugi sat in the center and someone who looked like Seto Kaiba stood in front of him. She saw a large shadow standing high above the city and herself running towards it. She saw the scene she had seen in her dream and then she saw a flash of Kairi giving her a small golden object.

When the last flash finished she found that she and Malik had reached the very end of the tomb and to her amazement there were two coffins in the center and surrounding them were the corpses of what must have been the servants. "These two must be the Pharaoh and his wife," Risa said in awe. "This is absolutely amazing."

"Hey Risa I think we found another one," Malik said pointing ahead of them with his flashlight.

Risa glanced up and noticed a large blood red stone sitting on a pedestal in between the two coffins. "Another tear," Risa whispered. She walked forward, took a hold of the stone and held it up to her bracelet. Moments later it had shrunken down to size and slipped into one of the six remaining grooves.

"Two down five to go," Malik said smiling. "Well that's one thing we needed…now let's see what we can't find out about this legend."

Risa had already began looking over the coffins for any writing she might find. However, before she could begin reading the one section of writing she found, a chill ran down her spine as a cold laugh split the air and she whirled around to find Marik standing in the entrance laughing menacingly.

"Marik," Risa hissed clenching her hand into a fist. She couldn't hit him when he was a spirit but now she should be able to hit him since he's solid.

"I've grown tired of waiting, my dear, so I thought I would come to you," Marik said, stepping through the shadows towards her.

Malik stepped between Risa and his darker half. "Stay away from her!"

"You fool," Marik insulted. "Do you really think you can shield her from me?"

"I won't let you harm her!" Malik declared.

"You have no say in the matter," Marik said drawing out a card.

"Malik, look out!" Risa shouted.

But too late. "Come to me, Vampiric Leech!"

In a burst of shadow, a monster materialized in front of him. It gave a horrific screech before lunging at Risa and Malik. Malik grabbed Risa by the shoulders and shoved her away from him with all of his might. She tumbled over the stone floor, knowing that she was going to have bruises. She heard Malik's scream of pain and looked up to see the monster with its teeth buried in Malik's chest, draining the life from him.

"MALIK!" Risa shouted in anguish. Malik fell to the floor as his breath came in gasps while the leech continued its work. "Marik…" Risa hissed balling her hands into fists. Then she rushed Marik and landed a fist on the side of his face. "You freak…let him go now!"

"He will die here because you decided to have him involved," Marik said grinning evily.

Risa looked back and saw to her horror that Malik was almost at his limit. "Just let him go…please don't kill him. I-I won't be leaving here alive unless you let him live," Risa whispered biting her lip to keep her head.

"You would come regardless," Marik told her a mild frown coming to his face as he glanced over at his other half writhing pathetically on the floor. "However, I suppose I can let him go for now. He will die anyway. Slow, and alone." He waved his hand and the monster vanished, allowing Malik to go limp, his breathing coming slow and labored.

Risa felt like crying seeing him like that, and even more so when the vice grip of Marik's hand closed over her forearm. "Now, my pet, it is time for us to leave. Your new home awaits you." As the shadows engulfed them, Risa caught one last glimpse of Malik as he stared up at her with amethyst eyes of apology.

* * *

"If you stare any harder, love, you're eyes are gonna get all crossed," Valon teased the girl sitting in his lap as she examined the round orange stone. Like the other two, it glowed unnaturally, as if it had a life of its own.

"I'm just trying to figure out just what it is," she told him. "These are supposedly called 'Ra's tears'. But not many people seem to know that much about them. And I can't help but feel like…"

"Yeah?" He asked when she was silent for several moments.

"You're going to think this sounds ridiculous but, it feels like a piece of my own beating heart," Kairi conveyed.

Valon blinked a few times while he digested what she just said. "Well love that would mean you're heart would have a large chunk out of it and you'd be dying right now," Valon said jokingly.

"I don't mean literally," Kairi said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "I should have known better than to try to explain anything to you."

"Naw…I really think you might be onto something. After all it would explain your strange mood swings," Valon amended smiling slightly.

"Why do I bother with you again?" Kairi asked him for what felt like the twelfth dozenth time.

"Hmm…it's because you like me," Valon explained with a chuckle.

"Well then I wouldn't press my luck, you're no Joey Wheeler," Kairi muttered putting the stone away.

"What's Wheeler got to do with anything?" Valon asked feeling a bit of jealousy pop up.

"He's the luckiest guy I know…I mean even his deck runs on luck," Kairi explained.

"Oh I get it…you're saying I'm not as lucky as he is right?" Valon clarified.

"Well I guess I wouldn't know for sure since I haven't really known you for that long," Kairi admitted. "I haven't sent you to the shadow realm yet so I guess you could call that luck."

"I'd say that I'm more lucky that you haven't left yet," Valon said wrapping his arms around her.

Kairi berated herself mentally when a little flutter came up from her gut. "Why does he have to say things like that?" she asked herself.

"So now what you going to do since you have three of those stones," Valon asked breaking through her personal scolding.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out…I don't know where to go from here…I'm at a dead end," Kairi muttered sadly.

"Well then how about the internet…I'm sure we're bound to find some sort of announcement about someone finding one of those stones…or one of the millennium items," Valon suggested.

Kairi smirked. "I knew there was a reason I keep you around."

"Just one question though," Valon asked, and his voice took on a tone of semi-seriousness. "What you planning to do once this whole thing is over?"

"Good question." It had meant to be a private thought but somehow the words got out. She wasn't sure that she would be able to go back home once this mess was cleared up. Seto wasn't the most forgiving person, and chances were, what little trust he had once had in her was null and void.

"Well if nothing else….you could always come travel the world with me," Valon suggested hopefully.

Kairi couldn't help but smile at the thought. She had always wanted to travel. Maybe this could be her big chance. Suddenly the ring burned against her skin and a vision of a park flooded her mind's eye. Then she heard a cold voice echo in her ears. "Meet me here, now. Make sure you're alone."

Kairi felt a pang of guilt and quickly got off of Valon's lap. "I need to go take a walk for a bit…think things over," Kairi told him before he could ask. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" With that she gave him a kiss on the cheek and hurried off.

Once she was outside she ran as fast as she could in order to get the rest of her body in pace with her increasing heart rate. After about a five minute run she located the small park and she slowed to a walk. She glanced around, almost expecting something to leap at her from the shadows.

She walked into the center of the park and stopped at a small bench underneath a light. She didn't feel anything strange nor did she sense any dangerous presences. Suddenly she felt a hand wrap its way around her waist and pull her against a cold body, while a head appeared right next to her face. "It's time for you to return…my light."

"Why all of the sudden?" Kairi asked, trying to sound indignant but more curious than anything else.

"Oh, I think you're perfectly aware," he rumbled dangerously. "Besides, I'm sure your friends wouldn't mind seeing you again."

Kairi stared in horror when she saw an image of Alister and Ryou chained to a wall, both looking worse for wear. "I would like you to return to me. Otherwise these two might meet a rather unfortunate end."

"Don't take your frustrations towards me out on them," Kairi shouted at him.

"My frustrations are with them as well," Bakura hissed. "After all, you were getting rather close to that little weakling. The other one just happened to be there so I decided to take him as well."

"Alright, I'll come back. Just… don't do anything to them," Kairi said finally.

She shuddered as Bakura placed a subzero kiss on her neck and released her. "You were unfaithful, my little light. But do not worry. I'm not as cruel as Marik is with his belongings." The image of Bakura began to fade back into the shadows. "I will be waiting for your return, and I shall welcome you with open arms."

And he left Kairi alone with a cold chill that she could not shake off.

Kairi ran back to the hotel with a newfound vigor. Her mind was set. She knew what she was going to do. She opened the door of the rented cabin where Valon and Raphael had been yelling about something. They stopped as soon as they were aware of her presence.

"You alright, Kairi?" Valon asked her. "You looked a little winded."

"I was just jogging," she said with a shrug. Before either of them could make a further inquiry, she strode forward and threw her arms around Valon. "I made my decision." She told him.

Valon was taken by surprise while Raphael just scowled. "Uh, remind me again, love?" he asked her, uncertain what to make of her sudden burst of physical affection.

"I want to see the world with you, Valon," Kairi whispered, sliding her hand up his chest towards his neck while her other hand took hold of one of his.

"Kairi…?"

"I want to…. But I can't." Suddenly she took several steps backwards and pulled a card from her pocket. "Swords of revealing light!"

Suddenly the entire area was engulfed in light and a barrier flew down separating Kairi from the two males. She stood there with a sober expression and the millennium key in hand.

"So that's it then?" Valon asked her, not looking at all surprised, as if he had seen this coming.

"Alistar and Ryou are in trouble. I'm going to help them," Kairi explained seriously. "I'll ask this once, don't follow me. Goodbye, Valon. And thank you." Then she turned on her heel and she was gone.

Valon watched her leave. It took him several minutes to realize that he was clutching something in his hand. He looked down and saw the orange stone that she had been inspecting earlier. He smiled. "A piece of your heart, huh?"

* * *

Seto shouldn't have felt as stressed as he did. He had his program back safe and sound, and he recently heard reports that one of his opponents, Zigfried von Schroeder, had been robbed. By all means he should be somewhat pleased.

But he wasn't.

The fact Zigfried had been robbed, and then days later his program showed back up via mail was too much of a coincidence. He knew there was only one person who could and would have pulled such a stunt. What was worse, she had accomplices. What he didn't understand was why she would take his program in the first place, sell it to his enemy, then steal it right back and send it to him.

He'd been spending the last few days trying to locate his young ward and just now received word that she'd disappeared. By using the network connections he'd received from her father, he'd been able to track down her movements from the time she'd first met the biker trio to when she'd left the group. Unfortunately, all traces of her vanished after that.

The men who were keeping eyes on her said that they completely lost her trail twice before her separation with the bikers. And both times were shortly before large crimes were committed. So why after losing track of her so many times did he get so stressed? Easy, he still wanted to make sure he dragged her back and punished her properly for giving him all this crap to deal with.

His phone went off and he answered it. "This better be good news."

"Mr. Kaiba," Roland's voice came over the phone. "I regret to inform you they were unable to locate Ms. Kairi. However…"

"What is it?"

"Well, they were able to detain the two men she was travelling with."

Seto closed his eyes for a few moments. "Alright, have them brought here. Pull whatever strings you need to. I want to question them personally."

"Yes, sir."

Seto hung up the phone and stood up from his chair. He gazed out the window, the dark night feeling strangely ominous. He felt a odd vibration in his pocket. His hand slipped between the fabric of his pants until his fingers closed over a small, round object. He pulled out the grey stone that he'd tried many times to throw away but found he never could for whatever reason. Weird… it felt like it was pulsing.

"I'm not getting enough sleep," he muttered dropping the stone back in his pocket.

Nor would he, not until she was found and he got the whole story straight from her mouth.

He would find her, one way or another.

* * *

Many hours later, Kairi arrived in Domino city. She was fatigued having not been able to sleep. Her mind wouldn't allow it. Not when she could se Ryou's and Alistar's unconscious faces every time she closed her eyes. She didn't need directions. She could feel the weight within her pulling her to him like a magnet. She didn't even see where she was going half the time, she just followed that pull that she knew would lead to her possible enslavement in so many ways it twisted her stomach into knots just thinking about it.

She knew when she arrived at the right place but was surprised by its size. It was a small shack looking place on the outskirts of the city…probably an old warehouse. She entered the structure with a weary heart and a twisted stomach.

"I'm impressed…you actually showed up when called," came a cold voice from the shadows. "I must admit he has you better trained than originally thought…or maybe it just ended up like that because of your friend's safety."

Kairi looked around until she spotted Marik standing in the shadows watching her. He stepped out with a big grin on his face and a sense of triumph that said he had accomplished something amusing.

"Marik…you have your playmate…leave mine alone," Bakura commanded coming from the shadows Marik had just left.

"Marik…so you're the miserable SOB that's been screwing with my friend's head," Kairi muttered, an almost feral snarl escaping her throat.

"Hmmm….that's almost amusing, Bakura…your little playmate tried offending me," Marik snickered. "Try that again though…and even Bakura won't be able to protect you from me."

"Like I need protection from the likes of you," Kairi spat.

Marik glared at her and his hand momentarily vanished beneath his cloak but stopped when Bakura grabbed his arm. "You'll soon see just how I treat those who show no respect," Marik hissed before walking away.

"It would be best if you didn't test him…even I will have a hard time keeping him from harming you if you push him too far," Bakura told her seriously.

"I haven't slept for several hours so I'm a little cranky," Kairi muttered angrily.

"Even so," Bakura mumbled. "Now I'm sure you wish to see your friends."

Her eyes narrowed. "Where are they?"

Bakura motioned for her to follow him and she did so without hesitation. The place was much bigger than she had first imagine, she soon found, and Bakura led her underground and suddenly they were walking through a stone corridor lit with torches that flickered casting dancing shadows against the walls and floors. Kairi found it rather eerie but tried to ignore it by keeping her eyes glued to Bakura's leather clad back.

Bakura led her all the way to a small metal door that almost had the look of a cell to it. On the other side of the door she spotted Ryou and Alistar hanging from the wall by a set of chains. Ryou was breathing heavily from his spot and Alistar had a very angry face.

Kairi's semi-frozen heart twisted in both guilt and sympathy for the two boys. She began to move towards them, but an icy grip on her shoulder stopped her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It attacks anything that gets too close."

"What do you mean?" Kairi demanded.

"Take a look," Bakura told her pointing.

Kairi looked over to the two boys once more. Suddenly a large terrifying looking monster that resembled a bad mix between a plant and an insect popped out and moved its claws through the two boys a few times before retreating back into the wall. Ryou and Alistar both shrieked in pain and every muscle in their bodies strained against their bindings. Once the monster was done they fell limp once more, panting heavily.

"Stop it! You're hurting them," Kairi shouted, turning to Bakura.

Bakura chuckled darkly. "Perhaps if you beg forgiveness, I may be willing to consider showing them mercy."

"No, Kairi!" Kairi's head whipped around to look at Ryou who was breathing heavily against his constraints. "Don't… I don't want to listen to you beg him for ANYTHING. I'm not worth that."

"You're right, you aren't worth it….but this is about her not you," Bakura shot back coldly.

"I'd better be getting a big reward for going through all this," Alistar muttered under his breath.

Kairi stared into Ryou's pleading eyes. He looked as if he'd rather choose death than see her submit to the thing that had used him so many times before.

There was the sound of fingers snapping and Ryou screamed once more as the monster tore at his body. There was no blood, but Kairi knew from the sound of his screams that the pain was only too real. "Stop… call it off," Kairi said turning to Bakura who appeared to be enjoying himself.

He merely smiled. "You know what will make me stop."

Hearing Ryou's cries of agony stung her eyes with tears until she could no longer bear it. 'I'm sorry, Ryou,' Kairi thought. She fell to her knees, placing her hands on the ground, lowering her face to hide her tears. "I'm sorry, Bakura. Please forgive me."

Bakura looked down at her and smiled evilly but the torture continued. "You know what I want…this will not end until I get it," he told her expectantly.

"I'll…I'll do whatever you want, just stop this," she pleaded without looking up. "I... am yours... and yours alone."

Bakura watched Ryou for a few more minutes before snapping his fingers and ending the torture. "Very good…it seems we finally have an understanding," Bakura chuckled. "Now stand up so that we may go."

Kairi did as she was told without hesitation, not wanting her friends to pay for her insubordination. As soon as she reached her feet Bakura wrapped one arm around her waist and lead her to the door. The two stepped through it and just before it closed Bakura glanced back at Ryou meeting his eye.

"She's mine," he said clear enough for Ryou to hear.

Ryou's anger boiled over in that moment and his shout sounded loudly, echoing against the stone walls. Then the door slammed cutting off his voice.

Kairi gave an inward wince at Ryou's shout but tried not to let it get to her. At least he was safe from torture for now. That was all that mattered. That was all she could give him at this point.

Bakura led her down the hallway without a second glance backward to another small door….though it also was made of metal. He let her inside where she found it to be a rather cozy living room…almost like the room from her dream.

"You didn't think that I'd show you a room as nice as that one and not really have one do you?" Bakura asked guessing at her thoughts once again.

Kairi flushed. She hated it. She hated how he read her so easily. She hated how he seemed to sink beneath her skin like a disease that she couldn't shed. Most of all, she hated the fact that no matter how much she tried to hate him, she just couldn't.

Bakura moved his hand across her cheek in a tantalizing gesture. "You've already been given your punishment….now it's time for you to receive your reward," he whispered directly into her ear.

* * *

There was nothing but darkness in the little room that Risa now inhabited. She stared off into nothingness for hours on end with no end to her solitude in sight. She couldn't move around or even sit down because of the shackles that bound her to one of the walls. She had already spent an entire day in her cell being systematically tortured both mentally and physically by Marik. He would come in every now and again and poke and pry at her mind and body. She had tried to fight back the first few times but eventually she ran out of energy and could no longer do more than ask him to stop. When he wasn't there she passed out because of exhaustion and he attacked her in her dreams…now that he had removed the dream catcher.

After hours of constant torture she found herself alone in the room welcoming the silence and reprieve while doing everything she could to keep from falling asleep. Suddenly her silence was ruined as a muffled cry of anger found its way to her ears.

"Who was that?" she mumbled weakly into the darkness.

"That was Bakura's weak host…he just saw Kairi submit herself to Bakura's will," a deep voice answered with a chuckle.

"Kairi's here?" Risa asked worriedly. "So you managed to get a hold of her too huh. What are you freaks doing with Ryou?"

"He is merely the tool to your friend's submission," Marik chuckled. "She seems to respond rather nicely to the sight of her loved ones being tortured." He ran a hand over her cool cheek, sending fire flaming across her skin. "Perhaps we should invite her down sometime, hmm? You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"No…don't you dare subject her to that…you know how she feels about that. Bakura would kill you if you did," Risa murmured with great effort. "She doesn't have to know I'm here."

"Oh, but she does, dear pet. You see, she said some very unkind things, and I don't take very kindly to those who disrespect me. As for Bakura, he need not ever know. I doubt it would take very long. Just a few screams from your pretty throat should have her on her knees within seconds," he laughed.

"Please just leave her alone," Risa pleaded, her breath coming in gasps. "I don't care what you do to me just leave her be."

"Don't worry," Marik said stroking her hair before withdrawing his hand. "I won't hurt you too badly. I only need to see her squirm and I'll be more than satisfied. You've been such a good pet lately, don't ruin it for yourself now."

"How could I possibly do that if I can't move?" Risa asked weakly.

"By making smart comments," Marik answered dangerously.

Risa tried to say something in reply but couldn't think of how to phrase it without getting herself in trouble so she kept her mouth shut.

Marik sighed and asked. "Why must you force me to hurt you? Perhaps I should take a page from Bakura's book and bring one of your friends in for torture and force you to watch?"

"You've already killed all my friends so who could you grab?" Risa asked as her heart rate increased slightly.

"I could always grab the little friend of the Pharaoh…I know how easy that would be," Marik suggested.

"Maybe…but then you'd…have Atem on…your tail and…he would not be a happy camper," Risa reminded him.

"And that," Marik said his face falling into a frown, "is exactly what I mean when I say making smart comments. Now I'm going to have to punish you again."

Risa's body seized up in fright, not knowing what it was she had done wrong. But it didn't seem like Marik was about to explain. He pulled out a card that Risa recognized only too well and she began shaking her head pleading him to stop.

"When you act in such a disrespectful manner you must be punished," Marik said smiling before holding up the card and saying its name. "Plasma Eel."

Risa tensed her muscles knowing the pain that was about to come but nothing could prepare her for the feeling of a large eel digging its way into her body and start swimming through it like it was in a lake or ocean. Risa screamed in pain as she struggled to ignore the thing swimming inside of her.

* * *

CM: I can't even begin to express how sorry we are for having taken this long. We've been supremely busy, both with life and distracted by the draw of other fandoms. But we decided once and for all we're going to finish this story. So for those of you still out there reading this, we thank you.


	18. The Princess and the Thief

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: The Princess and the Thief

"I can't believe this," Raphael muttered as he sat hunched over on the cot of his cell.

Not long after Kairi had ditched them, the police had showed up to apprehend both him and Valon. Although they had been forced to wait a couple hours until whatever magic the girl cast had worn off. As if things hadn't been bad enough, they were both transported back to Japan. Neither really knew why, but they supposed it was better than being stuck in a German prison.

"I hear ya there, mate," Valon said from the cell next to his. "I thought for sure Kairi and I were really hittin' it off."

"Is that seriously all you can think about right now?" the blond asked him incredulously. "We're stuck in jail. Alister hasn't been in contact for days now. And you're upset because some girl didn't return your feelings?"

"She's not just SOME GIRL," he said defensively.

"Like I haven't heard THAT before."

Valon scowled at him through the bars. "This is different."

"How?" the blonde demanded. "She's a girl you've known for a couple weeks tops and you honestly thought there was more there than the other girls you hang out with for only a few days?"

"Hey, you didn't see how sweet she was on me when we were alone," Valon declared with a smug smirk.

"No, and I'm glad I missed it," Raphael retorted with a groan. "At any rate, if she was really into you, do you really think she'd leave us there to be arrested for her ideas?"

Valon was about to reply when the door to the cells opened and in walked one man wearing a nicely pressed suit, though his hair was slightly disheveled. "Oi look, it's Kaiba. Didn't think you'd actually come ta say hi," Valon greeted with a wave of his hand.

Seto never forgot the faces of those who had a hand in attempting to over throw his company. So when he saw the two biker boys, he knew exactly who they were, not by name but by face. "You two… why am I not surprised." he glanced between the two of them before asking, "So where's your obnoxious red headed friend?"

Valon shrugged. "Not a clue, but he's been wantin' ta see you for a good long while now."

"So what do we owe the pleasure?" Raphael asked with a hint of sarcasm.

The CEO looked between the two. "Where is she?"

"She who?" Valon asked innocently.

"Don't play games with me. I know for a fact you both have been harboring and assisting a wanted criminal. So where is she?"

"Well, considering who we used to work for, you'd think we'd see a lot of wanted criminals," Raphael pointed out.

"Yeah, who's ta say how many sheilas and blokes we've met along the way," Valon added. "Ya got ta be more specific, mate."

"I mean the woman whom you helped break into Von Schroeder's place with," Kaiba seethed. He really was not in the mood for any of their antics.

"Oh, ya mean Veronica?" Valon asked. "Well, ya see she got hit with somethin' really purple."

"You mean lavender," Raphael corrected.

"Oh yeah, the guy was obsessed with that color," Valon laughed. "What was it that he shouted as we took off?"

"Why wasn't the paint lavender?" Raphael answered. They seemed to be completely ignoring the CEO now. "He deserved it...his men ruined my perfect souffle."

Seto did not take kindly to being ignored. "If you idiots aren't going to help me, then make no mistake I'll see to it you both are thrown in prison where you belong."

"Already been, not such a bad place really," Valon said with a smirk. "I'm starting to see why she left you though. You're a bit of a wanker, mate. Besides, why ask us where she is? You're supposed to be her guardian, aren't you?"

"Not a very good guardian, apparently," Raphael muttered.

So they had been traveling with her, and they both knew more than they were letting on. "Tell me where she is," he repeated.

"And then what?" Valon asked, his face going serious for the first time since the conversation started. "Sorry, mate, but I don't see how you finding her would be in her best interest."

"That's not something for you to decide," Seto said dangerously.

"And it is for you? If ya ask me, mate, a guardian that puts out a search for their charge putting in the comment 'dead or alive' for something that stupid don't deserve ta find em," Valon replied callously. "All that told me was that ya don't care what happens ta the Sheila. So no, I ain't tellin ya shit. Honestly I hope ya never find her, cause ya don't deserve her."

Raphael glanced over at his odd companion and had to admit, to some extent he completely agreed with him. Although he really didn't like her all that much from the short time she traveled with them, he did hope that she'd be able to have better living conditions than with this ultimate jerk.

"You know nothing about who she is or the life she's had," Kaiba declared.

"Neither do you mate. Since you've known her longer that's really sad," Valon retorted without missing a beat.

Seto was angered by this statement, only because what the hooligan was true. He may have adopted her and saved her from life in prison with her father, but he had made no attempts to know her. "What reason do you have to protect her?" he demanded of them.

"Someone has ta," the biker brunette stated simply. "Especially since her guardian's been doing a rather piss poor job of it."

The CEO closed his eyes, rubbing the lids. He was starting to get another headache. "I just want to find her… so I can hear the whole story. I want to know why."

The cell was silent for a few moments, until Raphael spoke. "If she were to tell you, would you be willing to listen? Even if what she told you sounded crazy and went against everything you believe to be real?"

Kaiba looked between the two of them for several moments before he finally nodded and said, "I would."

The brown haired biker looked Kaiba over for a few moments trying to decide if he believed him or not. "Well, in that case I guess we could tell ya somethin'," Valon murmured with a shrug. "After we swiped that program from that lavender lovin' moron, she ditched us. We honestly have no idea where she went."

Kaiba was about to explode on him when Raphael jumped in. "She was acting as if she didn't have a choice in whether or not she left."

"Exactly! I'm sure it had somethin' ta do with whoever it was was messin' with her that whole time," Valon added.

"How does any of this help me find her?" Kaiba demanded.

"I said we didn't know where she is, mate. I never said anythin' about not bein' able ta find her," Valon spoke up easily. "See when she left, I slipped a tracker on her jacket."

"Where did you get a tracker?" Raphael asked confused.

"I swiped it from old Ziggy's place," Valon answered with a triumphant grin.

Seto sighed in frustration. He was sick of running in circles. "If I get you out of here will you help me?"

"That'd be a great start," the Aussie said. "But there is one other thing…"

The CEO rolled his eyes. "Name it."

* * *

_A young woman sat on her bed, not knowing what she should do. Even thought it was late, she sat on her bed, her eyes reddened with tears. Sleep eluded her, for it had been days now, and her younger sibling was still nowhere to be found. If only she had kept a closer watch over her…_

_She heard a faint sound and her head snapped up, going on full alert. "Who's there?" _

_"Do you wish to find you sister?" a voice whispered from her balcony where a shadow lurked. _

_She quickly stood from her bed. "You… know where my sister is?"_

_"Perhaps… What would you be willing to give to see her return safely?" _

_"Anything," she said without hesitation. "Please… whoever you are…"_

_"If what you say I true, then meet me on the outskirts of the city tomorrow night. Come alone." _

_"Wait!" she called out but the stranger had gone, vanished into the darkness. She collapsed on her bed, hands clasping together. She knew this could very well be a trap, but could she really let the only slim chance of finding her sister slip away? _

_"Oh, brother mine, forgive me," she murmured sadly. "But if I must risk mine own safety to save our sister, then I shall do so willingly." _

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes to find herself in the same room as she had fallen asleep in. Bakura had allowed her rest without dreams... well, dream of him at least. She didn't know what to make of the one she'd just woken up from. Nevertheless, she felt immensely better now. The couch she had passed out on was plenty comfortable.

She looked around, expecting to see Bakura lurking somewhere nearby, but she didn't see white hair nor leather hide of him anywhere. Then she heard something. A scream? It neither belonged to Ryou or Alister. So then who…? Kairi got from her lying position and left the room, being as quiet and inconspicuous as was possible. She walked down the long hallway walking ever closer towards the yells. Whoever it was, it sounded female, and it sounded as if they were in unimaginable pain.

As she came around corner she spotted a door that was standing open throwing light into an otherwise completely darkened room. The screams were coming from inside. She cautiously walked up to the door and glanced inside. What she saw made her stomach churn as she recognized the taunting smile of Marik standing in front of someone who was strapped to the wall like Ryou and Alitar were. Then she recognized the person who was imprisoned as none other than Risa.

Marik turned his head towards her as she entered and his mouth lengthened. "You have impeccable timing, my dear," Marik told her. "I was just finishing up Risa's training."

Kairi stared in horror as Marik gave a small wave of his hand and a monstrous grey eel emerged from Risa's stomach and pushed its way out. It was like watching some sick alien movie. With every jerk and wriggle the eel would make, Risa would thrash and writhe as shrieks tore themselves from her throat of their own accord. Each scream shook Kairi to the very core. When had Risa gotten here? How long had she been hanging on that wall? How long had she been screaming with no one to help her? A hatred unlike any other burned inside Kairi's heart and seemed to bloom like a rapidly budding flower. She didn't even notice that her cheeks were wet, or that she had fallen to the floor. She was too used to these sensations by now for them to hold any true meaning. All she knew was she had gotten up and was now making her way towards Risa, the plasma eel long gone.

As Kairi got closer Risa managed to look up at her with dead looking eyes and forced a smile onto her face. "Hey…Kairi," she gasped trying to make her voice sound cheerful. "I didn't know…you were here…are you having….as much fun….as I am?"

"Risa…" Kairi whispered.

When she had gotten within a few yards of her, Marik held out his hand. "That's as far as you go, woman."

Kairi ignored him and continued moving towards her friends.

"I said stop!" Marik roared moving to intervene. "Just because you are Bakura's woman does not mean I won't-"

Kairi's eyes flashed and suddenly shadow creatures emerged from around her and tackled Marik, sending him crashing against the opposite wall with enough force that it cracked beneath the impact.

Kairi stopped in front of Risa and took her friends weary face gently in her two hands. "Hey, wake up. Talk to me."

"Hey…Kairi…what's….up?" Risa asked taking a deep breath with each word.

"What have they done to you?" Kairi asked her voice trembling with sadness.

Suddenly Kairi heard a scraping sound behind her as Marik got up from the floor and pulled out a monster card to make his attack. Kairi turned around in spite of the danger and held onto Risa to protect her from the blow.

"Kairi…please….don't," Risa stammered weakly.

Then a bright light engulfed the two and they momentarily lost all sense of where they were.

* * *

When Kairi open her eyes, she was sure she'd either been knocked out or was hallucinating. She was no longer in a dimly lit dungeon. She was outside in some sort of city, but wherever she was, it wasn't Domino city. Even though it was night time, it was far too quiet, and the stars were actually viewable. The ground beneath her was not asphalt, but sand. She also noticed she wasn't wearing her normal clothes anymore. Instead she was wearing very odd garbs and some sort of cloak with a hood.

Then in a panic she noticed Risa was no longer with her. Kairi glanced around, but found she was nowhere in sight.

"I don't understand," she murmured to herself. "Where did Risa go? And where am I? That thing Marik shot at me… did it cause this. Or is this…. Something else?"

Suddenly she heard the sounds of horses approaching and shouts of men. Instinctively, Kairi ducked into a dark space between the buildings. Until she understood where she was, she didn't want to risk an encounter with anyone. She watched as several men on horseback rode through, carrying weapons and also wearing strange garbs. The only time she'd ever seen dress wear like that was from those books on Egyptian history Risa always showed to her.

Did she somehow get teleported to Egypt?

"Search the entire city, men," one of the men shouted. "We must find the princess!"

Kairi subconsciously pulled herself farther into the darkness as the men leaped off their horses and started going in and out of the different buildings. She wasn't sure who this princess was that they were searching for and she didn't want to be around to find out.

Before she could decide what to do, she felt someone come down next to her side and a hand grab her shoulder. The hand tightened as she tried to jerk away from it and a whispered voice spoke. "Rather jumpy are we? Have you forgotten me already?"

Kairi turned to look up at the new comer and was even more surprised to see Bakura standing next to her wearing nothing but shorts and a long red coat. She knew something wasn't quite right though, when she noticed the scar over his eye and his darkened skin. He appeared different, though he still bore a boastful smirk.

Her eyes narrowed, anger flooding through her. "You…" She grabbed him by the lapels of his coat. "I should have known you had a hand in this! Where is she?"

His eyes flashed in irritation and reached up, gripping her wrists so hard her hold on his shirt weakened. "You're either very brave or very foolish to demand anything of me. I could easily kill you now."

"But you won't," she said bitterly.

Bakura squeezed a little harder and she came close to crying out. "Don't be so sure," he growled.

Well, if he did decide to, there wasn't anyone around she could call to for help. She was alone, and her friend was gone who knows where. All this made her even more angry, scared, and confused. "You beast…" she whispered. "It isn't bad enough you had to trouble me, but to involve her as well… I'll never forgive you."

"I never involved her," Bakura grumbled in annoyance. "It was her own fault. She followed us outside on her own and got herself caught. I had nothing to do with it."

"Caught, by who?" Kairi demanded.

"By a group of desert bandits," Bakura answered with a shrug. "They're probably already far out into the desert. There's no way any of your guards will be able to find her before they sell her off, so you might as well just forget about her."

"I'm not going to just abandon her!" Kairi nearly shouted. She managed to keep her voice low enough to keep from being heard.

"I didn't think you would," Bakura sighed. "But it's time to go." His grip on her tightened again as he dragged her deeper into the shadows. "I'm not about to let myself be found with the princess out here when the other is missing."

"Wait a minute," Kairi said, resisting his direction. "Just where is it you're taking me?"

"To find her, of course," Bakura said impatiently. "Isn't that why you came all the way out here to meet me?"

"I… did?" Kairi was beginning to think there was more at play here than she first believed. As much as she disliked the idea, she really didn't have much choice than to go with him at this point. "Just so we're clear, I don't trust you."

He merely smirked at her. "A wise decision, princess."

* * *

"Oh… my head…"

Risa shifted around and was a little surprised to find out her limbs weren't chained to a wall. In fact, they weren't chained at all… and she was resting on a cold, solid surface. She experimentally moved her body and found it to be strangely awkward. She opened her eyes and found that, rather than being suspended on a wall, she was in some sort of cage.

"Where… am I? Kairi?" The other female was nowhere to be found.

A breeze picked up and Risa shivered a bit. That was when she noticed her clothes had suddenly changed. And also…

"What the…" she gaped at her hands and feet which were a lot smaller than she remembered them being. "What the hell happened to me?!"

"Oh ho, looks like she's awake." Risa turned to see that a cloaked figure was approaching her cage. She reacted nervously and scooted back as fas as she could away from him.

"Who are you?" Risa demanded focing as much confidence into her voice as she could muster. "What do you want with me?"

"Haha. Look at this, the little princess is demanding to know why," the figure laughed as he was joined by others.

"What, is the little princess scared without her family and guards to protect her?" another laughed mockingly.

"Well it won't matter. I'm sure whoever buys you will take good enough care of you." The last one spat in her direction but she managed to avoid it.

"Like you'll manage to follow through with this," Risa muttered keeping her voice steady. "There's no way you'll be able to keep this from my family." After all, she did have an aunt who does fortune readings and a super rich uncle. There's no way she was going to disappear into the world without one or both of them finding her.

"No one knows you're here. Not even the Pharoh will be able to find you."

Pharoah? Were they talking about Atem? She took a closer look at her surroundings and noticed they weren't anywhere near civilization. In fact, they appeared to be smack dab in the middle of a desert from what she could tell. Her captors had a small camp set up, the majority of them were gathered around a cooking fire. What in the world happened to her? Was this just a dream?

"I'm warning you guys, if you let me go now, I might be nice enough not to have you thrown in prison," she said, keeping up her front. Was it just her, or was her voice slightly higher?

The men all laughed, finding her declaration to be nothing short hysterical. "Rather big words for such a small brat."

"What else would you expect from a spoiled palace princess?" one said grudgingly. "But once she's sold she'll be just another common slave."

"A night without dinner might teach her some humility." The men then left her alone, returning to their companions around the fire.

Another breeze blew and Risa shivered again. That was the setback of deserts, blazing hot in the day, freezing cold at night. Was this another punishment of Marik's? It seemed too lucid to be a dream. Whatever was happening, she just hoped Kairi was alright.

* * *

The sun was high and temperature continued to rise as Kairi and her odd acting Bakura traversed the desert. They had a long way to go to catch up to their quarry but their young powerful horse was making good time. There was no talking as they traveled and they only stopped occasionally to water the horse and themselves. It was hours into their journey as they took a small break for water that conversation was finally struck up.

"So, your highness, why are you so determined to find your little sister when you know those guards of yours will be searching high and low for her as well?" Bakura asked holding tightly to the bucket of water as the horse drank thirstily from it.

"Because, I have someone who knows where she is and I'm not about to pass it up," Kairi answered. Over the course of the trip, she'd come to the conclusion that she was indeed within Egypt and that the little sister this strange Bakura was speaking of had to be Risa...though she still wasn't fully convinced that she was indeed an Egyptian princess. Another small discovery she had made first thing that morning was her fair skin had somehow become very tan. "Now I have a question of my own. Why are you helping me?"

The thief smiled. "Quite simple, I relish the thought of a member of the royal family being indebted to me. You said you would give anything to see your sister home safely. I intend to make certain you uphold that promise."

"What is it your after?" she pressed for details. "If it's money…"

"Never you mind," the thief cut her off. "I'll decide my payment when this is over."

"Fair enough," she consented. Kairi stepped closer to the horse and patted its neck. It was such a beautiful animal, strong and healthy. At least she knew he didn't add animal cruelty to his list of evil doings.

They rode for the rest of the day and well until the night until Bakura brought the horse to a halt at a small desert cave.

"We'll rest here for the night," he said, jumping down off the horse's back.

"Will we really be able to catch up with them?" Kairi asked, sliding off the horse slowly and awkwardly. Her legs were going to be so sore the next few days…

"If they're traveling in a group, then it will take them longer to get where they are going," Bakura told her. He dug into the food bag and brought out some strips of dried meat as well as some bread.

Once Kairi was off the horse she looked up at the night sky. It was so crystal clear and the billions of stars and shone brilliantly along with the round silvery white moon. It was nothing like the city where the sky was cloudy and dark from light pollution. And she'd been so busy on the run she never even had the chance to enjoy nights like this.

She continued to stare at the sky in wonder until the thief called her attention over to where he had a small blanket spread across the ground next to a newly made fire. "You'd better make yourself comfortable, princess. Unless you really want to sleep directly on the ground this is all you've got," he told her patting the spot next to him as he munched on the bread and meat.

Kairi didn't like the idea of being anywhere near him but she knew sleeping directly on the sand was worse, so she grudgingly sat next to him and accepted the offered food. "How much longer do we have to go?" Kairi asked after she finished her food and began staring into the fire.

"Not sure," Bakura answered honestly. "But I know they're not that much farther ahead. You can only go so fast with that many people. Especially with an extra person in tow."

"That's good to know at least," Kairi murmured. She just hoped Risa didn't say or do anything that might get herself hurt.

"I still don't see why you would go so far for one little brat."

"That's what you do for the people you care about. It's not that hard to believe," Kairi said drawing some designs in the sand. "I mean… surely you have SOMEONE like that. Family, friends…"

"I have neither of those things, thanks to your father," he stated resentfully.

Kairi felt a small stab of pity for him. Not having any friends or family at all... that sounded so terribly lonely. At the same time… "My father was a good man, and I don't think it's fair for you to blame your troubles on someone else just because you're unhappy."

She didn't know what compelled her to say that. The only father she knew was in prison now. But… the more she thought on it, she did remember someone very father like. A respectable and caring man who loved his children and his people.

Kairi glanced over at Bakura and was startled to find he was holding a knife, poised to strike. Her heart immediately started to jackhammer against her chest and for a split second she thought she was going to die right there in the middle of the desert. Had her comment upset him that much?

She watched as if in slow motion as he lunged forward, and his knife swung through the air catching the head of a snake just before it wrapped its jaws around her leg. She blinked several times trying to put together what had just happened as the thief disposed of the reptile.

"What's the matter? Did I scare you?" he asked turning back to face her.

"Not really," she muttered turning away from him.

He smirked a little but didn't say anything more on the subject. "Get some rest. We have another long day ahead of us."

Kairi nodded slowly and laid down on the blanket but she didn't close her eyes. Instead she continued to watch him. She had to admit, while this Bakura was far more coarse in several respects… he was much more… humane? Kind? While he wasn't exactly friendly to her, he was at least treating her like a human being. And she had to admit, that was pretty cool of him to save her from getting bitten by a snake. And even if he had his own motives, he was helping her find her friend.

She wasn't sure how long it was after this little realization that she fell asleep, but the next thing she knew she was being woken up by the thief as he was packing things away. It was still somewhat dark as she pulled herself onto her feet allowing Bakura to wrap up the blanket and hook it back onto the saddle bag signaling the early hour and the few hours of sleep she received.

Worse yet, she was starving, she felt dirty, and in the outfit she was wearing she was very cold. Turning back to the horse and her companion, she was momentarily blinded as a cloth hit her in the face. "If you're cold then put that on," he told her. "We can't have a frozen princess traveling across the desert. You'll be even more useless than usual."

Kairi scowled at him but wrapped herself in the cloak he had given her. "I'm not useless," she muttered. "I may be just some princess to you, but you don't know me." She paused a moment before speaking again. "That being said… I don't know you either. So I'm sorry for what I said last night."

He stared at her for several moments, then he barked out a laugh. Kairi was rather surprised by the sound. It carried no malice or ill intention. There was actually some joy in it.

"I never thought the day would come where I was actually apologized to by royalty," he stated shaking his head. "Now I've seen everything." He got on his horse before reaching down his hand to her. "Hurry up now, if you still want to find your sister."

She hesitated for a moment but then banished her reservations and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up onto the horse. Then he turned them in the right direction and they headed off.

* * *

CM: Fun times... so just how and why did Kairi and Risa end up here? Will Kairi and Bakura be able to save Risa in time? Find out next time. See ya then!


	19. Past Life

CHAPTER NINETEEN: Past Life

Risa slowly cracked open one eye as the sound of laughter echoed from the campfire feet away from where she lay. She was happy to see that the men all seemed preoccupied with whatever they were doing and hadn't noticed she was awake yet. She spent the entire day of them traveling trying to sleep and gather whatever information she could. It was a little difficult as most of them didn't speak during the trip and at night they only really taunted her with the idea that they'd be selling her. The last thing she heard before they set up camp was that the next day they'd be in a merchant town. That night would be her last chance to escape.

She waited a few more minutes before she pulled out the small bit of leather she'd managed to swipe from one of the men and tried to make it as stiff as possible to pick the lock on her cage.

"Come on, just a little bit more." she muttered trying with all her might not to get too stressed at the situation.

Her hands kept trembling and her palms were sweaty from the anxiety, making the job all the more difficult for her. She heard footsteps approach and quickly withdrew, curling back up on the bottom of her cage. She steadied her breathing acting as though she were asleep and waited until the footsteps started away again. Risa's heartbeat was up at high speeds as she glanced around to check if all was clear. Then she sat up and once more tried again.

She worked the stiff leather back inside the lock and continued to fiddle with it. If she had to do this all night, she would if it meant escape. Then she could steal one of the horses with supplies on it and ride as hard and fast as she could until she found civilization. Not the greatest plan, true, but better than being sold into slavery.

"Come on, stupid lock…" she grumbled. "Unlock already."

She thought she felt it finally giving way when a hand came down harshly onto her hand pulling it away from the lock. Her head jerked up to see that one of them had spotted her. "What do you think you're trying to do?" he demanded pulling her hard against the bars. "Did you honestly think you could get loose that easily, ya little brat?"

"Let go!" she shouted trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"Still giving orders like you're in control?" he scoffed pulling the door open and lifting her out by her arm.

"I said let go!" she shouted again trying to kick him but not doing any damage.

He ignored her and dragged her over to where the others were. "This brat tried to make an escape. I think it's time we showed her exactly what happens to disobedient children."

"Just don't rough her up too badly," one of them spoke up. "We need her in good condition for tomorrow."

"I know," he answered. "A few lashes should do it."

Risa's hearts seized up and she began fighting as hard as she could. However, the man holding her was bigger and stronger. With the help of a couple others, they managed to tie her hands and feet together so she couldn't run. Her eyes widened when she spotted one of them holding a whip. Her body trembled and she began breathing heavily, trying to keep her fear under control. She wasn't sure why, but she was petrified. So much so she couldn't even scream for help. Not that any would come if she did. One of the men grabbed her hair, forcing her head down so that her back was exposed.

She grit her teeth preparing herself for the inevitable pain. She'd lasted through Marik's torture, she was sure a whip would be child's play in comparison: or at least she hoped it would be. She heard the man above her pull the whip back and the tell tale sound of the thick leather whistling through the air.

The sound of hoof beats in the sand caught her attention making her forget about the whip for an instant. That was quickly remedied as it landed full across her back and she shouted in pain.

"That's just a taste, princess," the man holding her taunted. Tears of pain started forming at the corner of her eyes and a few slipped down as she waited for the next hit.

Before the man could swing the whip back a second time, shouts sounded throughout the camp and a horse whinnied loudly as it leapt over the fire and aimed for the men surrounding Risa.

She lifted her head up, watched as the camp fell into pandemonium. The new arrival startled the other horses and they went on a tirade. One brushed passed the campfire, kicking up embers and catching some of the tents afire. Risa had to roll out of the way to avoid getting trampled by one of the panicked men.

"Risa!"

She looked up and saw a slight figure running towards her. It looked an awful lot like…

"Kairi!"

Kairi crouched down beside her friend and began untying the ropes. "Thank goodness, you're safe."

Risa caught a glimpse over her friend's shoulder and panicked when one of the men was bearing down on them. "Behind you!"

Kairi spun around, thrusting up pal upward under her attacker's chin. The blow was enough to stun him, causing him to drop the knife he'd been holding. She followed it up by driving her elbow into the man's side, and he collapsed. Quickly picking up the dropped knife, she sawed through the ropes binding her friend's arms and legs.

"Are you alright?" she asked breathlessly.

"Apart from my back yeah I'm fine," Risa answered slowly getting to her feet. She brushed off her small dress and looked up at Kairi only take a step back in surprise. "What the...when did you get so tall?"

"I'm not tall, you're just shorter," Kairi told her looking around for who knows what. "Look, I'll explain it to you later but right now we need to get out of here."

"Are you princesses ready to go yet or what?" The two girls turned at the sound of the voice and Risa involuntarily took a step back at the sight.

"Who..." Risa started to ask, but as close as he looked to Ryou, she was sure she knew who it was.

"Unless you want to stick around I suggest you hop on," he stated motioning to the stolen horse he had in tow.

"Why should we...?" Risa started to ask but Kairi cut her off.

"I said I'd explain it later. Just get on."

Not wanting to burn down with the rest of the camp site and also not wanting to get recaptured, Risa clambered onto the beast with Kairi's help. Then the brunette climbed on in front of her, taking hold of the reigns. She wasn't an expert on handling horses, but she knew enough about how to ride one at least. Once Bakura got back on his own horse he directed it out of the camp at full gallop and Kairi had hers follow his lead. Risa clung to her friend, her small body bouncing around uncomfortably in the saddle. They didn't stop until the fires in the distance were no longer visible.

As soon as her horse came to a stop, Risa slid off the saddle and landed hard on the ground. It had been a much farther fall than she was expecting. "Ouch!" she exclaimed reaching up to rub her sore bottom. As she did so, her fingers brushed against the bare parts of her back and she winced. In all the excitement, she'd completely forgotten about the blow the men had given her.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked jumping from the horse as well. Risa nodded slowly assessing the damage she'd sustained. She came to the conclusion that besides her back she was mostly just cold. "I'm so glad," Kairi cried out wrapping her arms around Risa's neck.

"Thanks for the help," Risa murmured trying to push her friend off; it was starting to hurt a bit. "You said you'd explain. Who is that guy who helped us? Why is he here? How come I'm so tiny, and where the heck are we?"

"Calm down," Kairi told her, then in a softer voice said, "I'll explain once we're alone but just play along for now." She straightened up a little before speaking again. "Sister… this is Bakura. He's the one who…"

Risa's eyes bugged out at the name. "YOU!?"She exclaimed point at the thief who was making sure his horse was alright. "You….. BASTARD! I'm gonna…" She didn't get much farther than that because Kairi clamped both hands over Risa's mouth.

"Ungrateful little brat," Bakura muttered.

"Well, what did you expect?" said Kairi as she wrestled with the small child form of Risa. "Calm down, already! He's the one who helped us!"

At this news, Risa ceased struggling, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She pulled Kairi's hands off of her mouth before saying, "Helped us? Why?"

"Why indeed," he muttered again. "In any case, my job is finished. You both can return to Egypt on your own."

"But we don't know the way," Kairi told him.

He pointed out to the horizon. "If you travel directly towards the east, you'll make it back to your kingdom. The horse you have carries enough food and water for you to make the trip."

Risa stood still very confused, whereas Kairi stepped towards him, albeit nervously. "Um…" she said hesitantly. "Thank you, for helping. You have no idea how much it means."

"Just remember you owe me now," he reminded.

Kairi nodded, and suddenly she felt a swelling of emotions that were not her own. At least… she didn't think they were. "More than I'll ever be able to repay, I think."

He silently nodded his head before turning his horse around and riding off, disappearing into the darkness. "Okay, you'd better start explaining," Risa ordered putting her hands on her hips. "There's no way that was Bakura, he was far too… bearable."

"You've never even met Bakura," Kairi pointed out.

"Not directly no...but from what I learned from the others there's no way he would help us out...or at least me," Risa argued.

"Well, I think that may be because he's not the same Bakura," Kairi answered.

"Okay, now you've lost me," Risa sighed.

"On our way to find you, he kept calling me princess and saying I had a brother and that you were my sister," Kairi attempted to explain.

"Right, you did call me sister. I was curious about that," Risa murmured. "And those guys back there called me princess too, though with their tones I thought they were simply poking fun at me."

"I don't know how, or even why…." Kairi said, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "But I think we're reliving something, something that happened thousands of years before."

"You mean like a past life?" Risa inferred.

Kairi nodded. "I know it sounds crazy but, every time I was with Bakura, he kept talking as if he knew me. And he even mentioned I was a princess of Egypt. From the looks of things, you were too."

"Oh, man…" Risa murmured, rubbing her head as if she had a headache. "But that doesn't explain what's going on now."

The dark haired girl was silent for several moments. "I think… our past lives may be trying to tell us something."

"Like what?" Risa asked more to herself than to Kairi. The pair fell into silence after this not really knowing what to do. After a time Risa spoke again. "Do you think, they're trying to tell us how to stop Bakura and Marik?"

"Maybe...and if that's the case then we have to make sure to pay attention to everything we see in here," Kairi replied.

"Right..." Risa mumbled rubbing her chin. "Then I vote we get back on that horse and keep on riding. The faster we get to the royal palace the better." As soon as she said this her eyes widened and she practically squealed. "Do you know what this means?! I get to actually see the Pharoh...and I can see and feel what the palace was actually like 5,000 years ago!"

"Just try to remember this isn't a fieldtrip," Kairi reminded with a roll of her eyes.

"I know that, but if we're here I might as well enjoy myself," Risa said in her defense.

"Right… now let's get going so we can…"

Risa wasn't sure what happened next. One moment she was in the middle of the desert talking to Kairi. All she did was blink and suddenly she felt a tug, like someone was pulling her through space. When she looked again, her surroundings had completely changed. In front of her stood, not Kairi but, Atem dressed in Egyptian garbs.

"Whoa…" she breathed glancing around at the room. "So this is what a palace room looked like. Amazing…"

"Eris!" Atem spoke sternly. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?" Risa said, attention snapping to him. Was he talking to her?

"Uh...sorry I was spacing a bit. What did you say?" she asked smiling sheepishly. She was still very much in the dark and suddenly having Atem yell at her wasn't helping any.

"Eris, this is precisely the reason you were dragged off before," he sighed rubbing his forehead. "You have to start listening to people. You can't keep wandering outside the palace on your own." He walked over to her and placed a strong yet gentle hand on her shoulder. "So as the Pharoh and your older brother, I'm giving you your own personal body guard. He's going to be with you almost wherever you go."

"B-but, I don't need one," Risa insisted, though she wasn't sure why. "I can stay in the palace. I'll even start telling the guards where I'm going. I promise I'll take better care of myself."

Atem shook his head ruefully. "I'm sorry, but I cannot take that chance. I not only almost lost you, but also our elder sister. I will not allow that to happen again."

_Elder sister? Oh, right, he must mean Kairi. _Risa let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped beneath her brother's hand. "Okay… I understand."

"Very good," he said before straightening up and glancing over at the door. "Malik, you may enter now."

Hearing the name, Risa whipped around as the doors opened to see… no way…

"M-Malik?" Risa stuttered. This Malik appeared almost identical to the one she knew, except he looked younger and was dress like an Egyptian guard.

Upon entering the room, he approached them before going down on one knee. "I am at your service, Pharaoh. I shall protect the princess with my life."

Risa stared at him utterly confused as to why he was even there. It was only when Atem replied that she was able to snap herself out of it. "See that you do," the Pharoh nodded signaling that the guard could return to his feet. "Now there is much I must attend to, and you Eris have other places you must be as well."

Risa nodded taking his statement as a signal to leave and turning towards the door. Before she left though, she paused and turned back. "Thank you, brother, and I'm really sorry I worried you both." With that said, she left the room, Malik sticking close to her.

It took all the self control Risa had not to stop and inspect everything she saw. As far as she could tell, they were in some sort of palace. Oh, what she wouldn't give to explore it all… but sadly now wasn't the time. Like Kairi said, they weren't on a field trip. Speaking of Kairi…

Risa stopped and had to look up at Malik who was a good head and shoulders taller than her. "Would it be alright if we visit Kai… I mean… my sister?"

Malik was silent for a few moments. "I was told by my sister that you had lessons with her today… but I suppose a short visit with Princess Akana would be alright."

"Sweet… er… I mean, thank you," Risa said with embarrassment.

He shook his head. "I deserve no such thanks. Let us see if the Princess Akana is in her chambers."

"Sure thing, lead the way," she said with a smile.

"Oh, my head…" Kairi groaned. She had been talking to Risa when she was suddenly struck with an odd sensation followed by a wave of vertigo.

"Princess Akana… are you not well?" A familiar voice asked.

Kairi opened her eyes and she almost screamed in surprise. She was no longer in a desert but inside some sort of oddly decorated room. Not only that, Risa had been replaced with an Egyptian version of Seto.

"What is the matter?" he asked looking concerned. Which coming from Seto was just too strange.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, rubbing her head. "I'm just a little dizzy."

"It's not surprising considering what you've just returned from," Seto replied setting a comforting hand on her bare shoulder. "Your brother is very grateful for what you've done. Tonight he is throwing a celebration for your safe return."

"Really?" Kairi asked trying very hard not to think of him as the Seto who was taking care of her in the preasant day. "So, does that mean that R...uh my sister is alright?"

"Yes, from what I've heard the injuries on her back have been tended to and she is in speaking with the Pharaoh right now," Seto answered calmly. "After this disaster involving the two of you, he will be taking measures to ensure it does not occur again. So do please attempt to listen to your brother and stay out of trouble."

Kairi released a small laugh but quickly stifled it when Seto gave her an add look. "Ah, I apologize. I just... it's nice to hearing sounding so genuinely concerned for me." Definitely not something she was used to hearing from him. Seto very rarely ever outwardly showed caring for her, and when he did, it was often edged with a harsh callousness.

"How could I be anything but?" The hand on her shoulder gave a gentle squeeze. "I would be distraught if misfortune were to ever befall you."

Kairi had to look away. Even telling herself this wasn't the Seto she knew, it was still weird to have his look-alike speak to her so candidly. She was saved the trouble of having to respond when the doors opened and Risa came in, looking much better than she had before. Trailing behind her was a slightly younger looking version of Malik.

"Sister, you're okay," Risa exclaimed happily running up to Kairi and giving her a hug. She was surprised to see Kaiba standing there in what seemed to be a dress, but wrote it off as it wasn't the strangest thing she'd seen so far. "I'm really sorry for worrying you and brother. I promise I won't leave the palace again by myself."

She knew she was stating exactly what she'd done to two people who already knew it, but figured her bit of explanation would help explain to her friend what had started that whole desert fiasco.

"I'm glad to hear that," Kairi replied quickly as she returned the hug. "And who is this?"

"This is Malik," Risa explained, putting a slight emphasis on the name. "He's the new body guard brother assigned to watch me."

"I see," Kairi said inclining her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Please keep my sister safe." Oh how she wished she would have paid more attention to Risa's Egyptian rantings. She had no idea how she was supposed to act.

"I intend to, your highness," Malik said with a bow.

"I have work I must attend to," Seto said looking back to Kairi.

"Alright, try not to work too hard." It was something she told Seto quite often.

He gave her another perplexed look before nodding and excusing himself.

Once he was gone, Kairi looked at Malik. "I would like a private word with my sister, if that is alright."

"Of course, Princess Akana," Malik replied with a nod, asking no questions. "I shall be just outside for when you are finished." He bowed and backed out of the doors shutting them as he went.

"Okay, how crazy is this?" Risa gushed picking up the silk sheets off Kairi's bed. "Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I could be here in person. Oh, it's just so amazing. And isn't it weird that Malik is here too? Not that I'm complaining but still."

"Risa, you really need to calm down," Kairi told her, but she couldn't help be feel slightly amazed at her own luck as well. "We need to focus on what we're going to do about all of this. I mean how are princesses even supposed to act? What happens if I don't act correctly here? Will they think I've replaced their princess or something?"

"No, I don't think we have to worry about that," Risa answered moving back towards her friend and sitting down. "Somehow I think what we hear and what is actually being said is completely different. After all, you've never even heard the Egyptian language before yet you understand everything that's being said. I think it works both ways. At least sort of. We should probably get each other's name right at least though."

"Well, Seto called me Princess Akana," Kairi relayed.

Risa nodded. "Right, and Atem called me Eris, I think."

The darker haired female rubbed her head. "Great, so now that we have that part figured out, what are we supposed to do?"

The other girl opened her mouth to say something, but the next moment, the two were once more pulled out of wherever they were and dragged along by some invisible force. When the sensation stopped and Kairi looked around, she was in the same room, except Risa was no where to be seen. Not only that, it was night time.

"Again?" she thought in dismay. What was with these erratic jumps?

Her head whipped around, having caught the faintest sound of padded footsteps and the rustling of clothes.

"Heh, did I startle you?" the deep voice of Bakura asked as he stepped inside. "You seem a bit on edge, princess."

"Well, what do you expect when you come sneaking in through my window?" Kairi asked confused as to why he was even there.

"Well, walking through the front door wasn't an option if you actually wanted to see me," he answered walking over to her and leaning across her bed towards her.

She watched him warily, though his demeanor didn't seem threatening. "What is it you want?"

"I've come to collect your debt to me." His eyes gleamed as he stared at her. "You did say for your sister's safety you would give anything."

"I suppose I did," she murmured thoughtfully. She straightened her posture, making herself as tall as possible. "Very well, what is it that you desire from me?"

"Nothing too specific," he answered with a mischievous smirk. "I just want to take you with me." He walked around the bed towards her and held out his hand. "After all, I'll bet you're as bored of this place as I am. Let's see what you're like when you aren't surrounded by walls and guards."

Kairi resisted the urge to take a step back. However, she was used to confronting this man… or at least, a version of him. "I cannot just leave. If I go missing…"

"You'll be back before they have a chance to realize you're gone," he assured her. "You have my word."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow at this. Anyone could easily tell this wasn't a good idea by any means. However, something was pushing her to accept his proposition. She did owe him after all… After some thinking it over, Kairi nodded.

"Alright, but only for a little while." She slowly reached her hand out to take his, when she heard a small cough from behind her bedroom door which was open just a crack.

The two were startled by the sound and looked quickly at the door; Bakura on full alert. "Who's there?" Kairi called unsure of what would happen next. Slowly the door was pushed over and in walked the small form of Risa.

"It's just me," she murmured softly, closing the door behind her. "You're going out with him?" She gestured toward the thief with her head as she spoke. Nervously Kairi nodded. "Alright then. I'll cover for you in case brother or Priest Seto come looking." Then she turned to the thief and glared daggers at him. "If she doesn't come back I'll make sure you pay for it."

"I'm surprised you're letting her go with me at all," Bakura mused. "I could kill her and her blood would be on your hands."

Kairi shot him a look. "We both know if you wanted me dead, you could have easily done so already." She glanced back at Risa. "I'll be back. Do not worry for me."

Risa nodded. "Right… be careful."

Kairi promised she would before drawing closer to the thief. "I'm ready."

The thief nodded and took her by the hand. As he did so, she could feel her insides alight with excitement and she allowed him to take her out of the palace and into the night.

Risa waited until they were gone before getting to work. She quickly pulled the covers of the bed back and stacked the pillows within it to look as close to the other girl's current shape as possible. "There...and to think, this little trick probably hasn't been invented yet," she thought in amusement. Then she climbed under the covers herself and lay down. Now all she had to do was wait.

* * *

CM: Well, wasn't that exciting? Yes, I know, it's been a while since we've posted for this. This is what we get for doing multiple stories at once. But when we saw reviews popping up for this story, we had to post another chapter. So thank you reviewers for inspiring us to post.


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